Rescue
by datawolf39
Summary: Snape goes to Privet Drive because Harry misses the train. When he gets there he is surprised what he finds. Also known as a prompt that is done to death. T because of abuse and one word.
1. Rescued

Harry threw himself onto his bed sobbing so hard that he would wonder afterwards how he managed not to suffocate. The new term at Hogwarts began today and Uncle Vernon had refused to take him to King's Cross. When Harry had argued the whale in mans' clothing slapped him so hard that he was thrown into a wall and it wouldn't surprise him much if he had a concussion from it.

But that was not anything that was unprecedented before his year at Hogwarts but it had been the first time that he was hit since coming back. He supposed that this would be his life again. He had missed the train and that would be taken as a sign that he was dropping out and he just knew that nobody would even bother to check.

That thought made him sob harder than before. Soon the sobs angered his Uncle and the man came up to his room to slap him once more. The twelve year old hit the wall again and the last thing that he was aware of was his Uncle telling Hedwig to shut up because she screeched loudly as the monster hit her master.

_At Hogwarts_

Severus Snape also known as the Bat of the Dungeon watched as the students filed in to the welcome feast and to his utmost shock he was unable to see Harry Potter. Sure he might not like the boy but due to the fact that he was a professor here he was duty bound to protect the students and it didn't help matters that he had sworn an oath to Dumbledore that he would watch after the boy.

After the feast Snape talked to the youngest Weasly and Granger and found that Potter had not been on the train and that neither of them had heard from him since the beginning of summer.

After he dismissed the two of them they scampered off quickly so that he wouldn't find some excuse to deduct points from their House.

Sighing, the Potions Master got up and walked out of the castle. He sent a note to the Headmaster to tell him where he was going not bothering to see him in person because he knew that he would be told to go anyway.

Soon he was walking down the street and stood in front of number four Privet Drive.

Harry blinked slowly. He didn't feel so well. But he looked on the bright side at least if he did need to toss his cookies nothing would come up because he hadn't had any meals lately. Merlin did his head hurt though. It most likely had something to do with the head on collisions with walls that had left his glasses broken and his black hair caked with dried blood.

Harry tried to stand up. Nope not a good idea he thought as he collapsed back to the floor because of the overwhelming dizziness that had consumed him as he attempted to stand.

Suddenly he heard the doorbell sound through the house and boy did it make his head hurt. He cradled his head in his hands and balled up in the fetal position maybe if he pretended that he was an inanimate object it would fool his pain receptors.

The doorbell sounded again and the pain increased. Tears streamed down his face because of the pain. His plan had failed.

Severus Snape was not a patient man and he was even less patient with Muggles. He had pressed the bell twice and they had the nerve to make him wait. Just as he was going to _alohamora_ the lock the beefy muggle opened it.

"I'm here to collect Potter," he said without preamble. The sooner he could leave the better.

"He's not here," the man said attempting to shut the door on the former Death Eater.

Suddenly Severus heard a loud screech from the upstairs that sounded annoyingly like Potter's owl. He pushed pass a stammering Vernon and walked up the stairs to the room where the owl was screeching as an ear-splitting frequency. The door was locked but he had no qualm about making it open.

The sight that greeted the former Death Eater was enough to make anger appear on his usually sneering face. Potter was lying in the middle of the floor curled into a ball so small that it should have been impossible for him to contort into. Even though he was curled in upon himself Severus could still see that there was blood on his head. There was a smell of vomit in the air but from the lack of puddles and the fact that Potter's wand was not here he could tell that the boy had had nothing to throw up and as a result there was only bile and that had sopped into the carpet at some point.

The bucket in the corner that was presumably used for waste was empty save a few drops of urine and owl droppings.

The owl was not looking to well either but she was better than her owner. If he had to guess he would say that she just needed to fly a bit. But he knew that her restrictions were not Potter's fault. For the first time in his life the Potions Master felt something other than disgust for the boy.

The owl eyed him pleadingly.

"Potter," Snape said in a low voice. Had it not been for the small whimper that came from the boy he might have thought him dead.

"Gather his things." Snape growled at Vernon in a voice that had made many a first year wet themselves.

For the first time in his adult life Vernon Dursley did not argue and went down to the cupboard under the stairs to pull out Harry's belongings.

Once Dursley was gone Snape made his way over to the owl cage and unlocked it setting Hedwig free. After that he bent and scooped up the boy form where he lay on the floor. He was angered further when he felt how light the child was. He weighed no more than one hundred pounds and that was a high estimate.

Slowly Severus made his was down the stairs with Potter cradled in his arms. Dursley had finished getting all of the boy's belongings so he whipped out his wand and shrunk them so that they fit easily into his robes.

"I'll be back for you," Snaped hissed at Vernon venomously as he walked out of the door.

"Potter," he called gently.

Harry's eyes cracked open the tiniest bit and when the meager light hit them he closed them again and began to gag. His stomach was so empty though that nothing at all came up.

Snape knew then that he would need transportation. Potter's health was far too weak to even try transporting by magical means.

"Hedwig," he called to the owl. Quickly he wrote a note to Dumbledore and sent the bird on her way.

After sending the owl off Severus walked slowly ever conscious of the boy in his arms and the fact that he was injured. It took a few hours but he was able to walk to the house that belonged to the Order. It wasn't much but it was connected to Hogwarts via the Floo network and when Potter was well enough he would take care of him in his own quarters.

It struck Severus as odd that Potter would be the one to bring out this protective streak of his. He guessed that it may have had something to do with the fact that he was feeling guilty because he had bought into the opinion that Potter was extremely privileged like other people had and until now he had never had reason to believe that the muggles cared for him as much as the people in the wizarding world.

Shaking the thought Severus examined the boy and found that he definitely had a concussion and he was sure that the shoulder was dislocated. The boy was also starved to a point that he had nothing left to expel during his gagging fits. He was probably dehydrated as well.

Severus shook his head and took a breath to stop himself from going to murder that muggle. Concentrate on Potter he told himself. He took off the boy's clothing a washed him down quickly. That finished he dressed him in pajamas and went to brew a few potions that would hopefully improve his health to a point that he'd be comfortable with letting him travel.

When Harry awoke he was very warm and the throbbing in his head had muted to a slight pain that was easily pushed away. He knew that he was in Hogwarts but he didn't know where he was exactly. That was until Snape- dressed in pajamas with little moving potions print on them no less- walked in the room.

He blushed hard he must be in Snape quarters.

"You're awake," he said and if Harry didn't know better he would think that there was some relief in the normally cold voice.

"I really should deduct points for this."

"What!?" Harry said wincing when his voice hit his ears.

"You scared me Potter." He said as evenly as if he were mentioning an ingredient in a trivial potion.

At Harry's look of disbelief Snape felt a sudden unwelcomed pang. "Am I really that much of a prick that you think me unable of human emotion?" he asked with a vulnerability he hadn't felt since he was a student here. He attributed it to the fact that Potter's heart had stopped twice in the last two days in his room.

For the first time Harry realized that while Snape was mean and nasty those feeling had been born out of circumstance and underneath it all apparently Snape was a human as surprising as it was. Then again it wasn't that surprising if he was a teacher here he'd probably go nuts specially in the dungeons.

"Not a prick. Now if you had said an old bat I might have agreed." For a moment Harry pondered something. "Does this mean that you don't hate me anymore?" he asked.

"I'm not allowed to _dislike _you anymore seeing as I have apparently been named your legal guardian." Snape said.

Harry's mouth opened in slack-jawed surprise. Sure anything was a step up from the Dursley's but _Snape._

"Why?" he managed to choke out.

When he saw the anger flash across Snape's features he amended the stamen. "Why would you want a no- good Gryffindor like me? You never liked me from day one and you hated my dad."

"I may have been laboring under the misapprehension that you were a privileged youth and when I got you here I may or may not have flew into such a protective rage that nobody else save Madame Pomfrey dared to touch you when I was around."

Harry burst out laughing. Who know that under the mean façade Snape was such a softy?

Getting up from the bed Harry walked over to his new guardian and hugged him. To his surprise Snape hugged him back. To his amazement the man that often seemed so cold was really quite warm. Reluctantly Harry pulled back. "Thank you." He said.

"This doesn't mean I'll go easy on you in Potions though." Snape said. Harry groaned. He took it all back the man was a cold monster no doubt about it.

** A/N This was my first Harry Potter fic. I'm re-reading the books for one of my classes and I have been reading quite a bit of fanfiction, I wanted to contribute and thus this was born. It's kind of rushed a bit OOC but hey that's why it's fanfiction right. Reviews are as always loved and wanted. Until next time.**


	2. Explanations and New Situations

**A/N I wasn't intending to make this a chapter story but I got so many follows I felt like I had to cause so many people want it. So here is the second part. I have a HP story in the works but I won't upload it for a while so that I can have time to write out a few chaps. But it will take longer because I might continue this one depending on the way it is received so we'll see. Anyway Chapter two a bit longer than the first one as thanks for following and for the wait while I came up with some idea of what to do with this since I had intended it as a one-shot and last night it just came to me. It may seem a bit out of sync with the first part because I had intended it to be a one-shot. One day I might tweak it a bit but as of right now I think that they mesh well enough. But if there are any suggestions I'd be happy to edit it a bit faster. Oh yeah and sorry about the abrupt shifts last time I had breaks but they were cut in the upload.**

**I'm finished rambling now so on with the story.**

Harry had hugged Snape! 'It wasn't my fault' he had rationalized later. He had just been overwhelmed at well you know being alive and Snape was acting all _human_ and everything so technically it was his fault for causing the reaction in Harry.

Now they were sitting in Snape's living quarters because after he woke up Snape told him that he needed to stay awake for a few hours at least. Harry was in one green and silver chair and Snape was seated on the sofa that was decorated with Slytherin colors as well reading this month's edition of Potions Monthly.

"So when are you sending me back?" Harry asked as Snape turned the last page. Harry had rationalized that if his actions had come out of the circumstance then Snape's must have as well.

"What?" The man asked jerking his head up sharply knowing that he must have misheard the question.

"When are you sending me back to the Dursley's? I just want to know so that I can be prepared since they are going to be very mad because of what happened."

"What makes you think you going back!?" Snape snapped at him. 'The boy must be daft' the wizard thought, after all that happened how in the world could the boy think that he would be sent back to the very _family_ that had nearly killed him. Snape could just imagine the headline in the Daily Prophet now. _'Boy-who-lived murdered by muggles'_.

"Well you are my temporary guardian but when you get tired of me you're going to send me back right?"

"Wrong. You will not be going back there ever. Understand?"

Harry turned his shocked green eyes to the man. "But what about when whatever you're on wears off and you don't want me anymore?"

"I'm not on anything Potter!" Snape said harshly but he just couldn't control his temper because the boy was being purposefully irritating.

"But-" Harry started to say but was cut off by a very irritated Snape.

"Potter, listen to me. I don't know if the hits to your head bruised your brain or if you are just naturally as dumb as a brick but you are never going back there. Ever. Inevitably, I will be upset with you at times because you are a Gryffindor and a brat but that does not mean that I will ever send you back to that place. Those muggles are not fit to raise a hamster and even less qualified to raise a child. Do you really want to go back to that place? Is your sense of self-worth so shattered that you are fine with that kind of treatment"

"Not really sir. It's just that good things don't happen to me often and when they do I expect them to end because I know that the will. Anyway won't you be ashamed being guardian to a Gryffindor. What will your snakes think?"

"Oh so you call my students snakes but address you're House by name a little unequal isn't it?"

"Sorry. What will you snakes say when they find that you are caring for a _lion_?"

Snape rolled his eyes. That cheeky little brat. "They will say nothing because they respect me."

"Malfoy?" Harry asked in disbelief.

"Yes that includes mister Malfoy. Any other questions?"

"Since you are my Guardian I think I should know if you are dating because I don't want to be in the way."

"I'm not" Snape said quickly.

"It's okay if you are you know. I'd only be down here when you want me to and all the other nights will be spent in the tower. So do you have a girlfriend?"

"No." Snape said.

"A boyfriend then? I don't judge and I wouldn't tell anyone."

"Wha! No!" Snape sputtered. What was with this boy?

"I'm just asking," Harry said not understanding why Snape was taking offense.

"You're awfully comfortable with this. I expected more resistance from you."

"Well you are a big step up from the Dursley's and I was never one to look a gift horse in the mouth. I'm twelve but I'm not stupid enough to refuse a new guardian."

"But you hate me!" Snape said before he was able to stop himself. That bit of kindness didn't suddenly make him likeable did it?

"I never _hated_ you." At Snape's look of blatant disbelief Harry continued talking. "I disliked you, of course, but it was hard to dislike you as much after finding out that you were trying to save my life last year in that Quidditch match. Then you go and rescued me and on top of all that you go and show me that you have emotions and stuff. After all that it's kind of hard to not like you just a little bit."

Snape had no idea what to say to that. Potter was not a typical abused adolescent boy. Any way that you looked at it this boy should be a fragile flower due to his horrible upbringing but this here was a young man that was seated across from him. A young man well on his way to meeting so many unreasonable expectations that many already held for him. Snape could see that easily although he would never admit it a loud because that would totally ruin his reputation.

Harry on the other hand was thinking that he would never have to see those Dursley's again and he found that he actually didn't cringe at the thought of Snape as his guardian. Ron and Hemione on the other hand…

"What will your friends think?" Snape asked as though he had read the boy's mind, which he hadn't.

"Oh they are going to have a fit." Harry laughed. He could just imagine the commotion it would cause.

"Well we'll see. You are starting classes tomorrow. I want you to rest for the rest of today just to make sure that you are healed enough. If you feel ill, get a headache or anything else tomorrow I expect you to come to me immediately just so that we can make sure that it is not a sign of something worse."

"Yes sir." Harry said.

Snape again was surprised. The boy was far too agreeable.

"Am I to stay here tonight or go to the tower?" Harry asked feeling a bit tired now which was ridiculous seeing that he had spent most of the last couple of days asleep.

"You will sleep in my bed," Snape said. "I want to be able to keep an eye on you tonight to make sure that there are no lingering effects from before."

"Where will you sleep?" Harry asked.

"On the sofa," Snape replied. "You can rest easy I won't be sharing the bed with you."

"Oh that's- I mean- it's just that I feel bad about you having to take responsibility for me and on top of that give up your bed."

"It's fine," Snape said dismissively he probably wouldn't sleep anyway with all the catch up he had to play from three days of missed lessons.

"Well I think I will head off to bed now."

"Fine but you need to eat first."

"I'm not hungry," Harry said getting up to walk back into the bedroom.

"When's the last time you ate?"

"A day or two before my uncle hit me I think. But that was fairly standard so I'm used to it."

"It's been three days since then."

Harry shrugged he couldn't help that he wasn't hungry.

"Well if you get hungry tonight I'll leave out a bit of food out on the table with a stasis charm for you."

"Thank you," Harry said sincerely surprised at the offer but grateful all the same. Then he went back into the bedroom.

Snape sighed. By tomorrow his 'bat of the dungeons impossible to please' persona would be shattered. He had worked very hard to cultivate that image but now Potter of all people knew that he wasn't naturally as abrasive as he was all the time in class and by lunchtime tomorrow it was sure to be all over the school. The other Professors were sure to get a kick out of that especially Dumbledore. Oh Merlin was this was going to be embarrassing!

Resisting the urge to sigh again he _accio'd _all the reports he had put off and began to grade them. The stack was incredibly thick and for the longest time he felt as though he were chipping at a mountain with a spoon.

Two hours later he had finally finished a huge chunk and he was just putting a grudging O on Granger's report, because Minerva said that she would string him up by a certain part of his anatomy the next time he took off points from Granger for no good reason and he had every reason to believe that she would because she never made threats lightly, when he heard a muffled sound coming from his bedroom. He got up and stretched passing it off as something his tired brain had imagined. But then he heard it again and it was slightly louder now.

Snape hastened into his room and was met with the sight of Harry Potter thrashing in his bed in the midst of a nightmare. What startled him is that the boy was more silent that he should have been for the level of terror displayed on his features.

For a moment he stood frozen not knowing what to do. Slowly he realized that he should probably wake him up. He moved quickly across the room and had barely touched the boy before Harry's eyes were opening.

Snape was startled. Potter was such a light sleeper and that spoke volumes about how he was treated in the past if he was able to wake up so fast from just a light touch to the shoulder.

"What a nightmare." The boy said shivering.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Snape found himself asking for some reason.

"It was just a rehash of an old dream but it was different at the end. I dreamed that HE came back and killed off everyone that I cared for. But the scary part is that right before he goes to AK me he starts tap dancing and then all his followers started a conga line."

Snape stood stock still for a moment letting the imagery of that sink in and then to the shock of both of them he burst out laughing. He just couldn't take it. The Dark Lord tap dancing while the Death Eaters marched around in a conga line the picture that it created was just too much for him to handle.

A whole minute had passed and Snape found himself choking back more laughter in favor of breathing. It was hard but he managed to do it. Under control once more he looked at Potter who returned his look and had a smile of amusement stretched across his face.

"I think that is the first time that I have ever heard you laugh," Potter remarked. "You should do it more." Harry suggested.

Snape scoffed.

"No I really think that you should and as a matter of fact I will make sure you will. As your… ward I think I am obligated to do certain things for you and so one of the things will be making you laugh at least once a day if for no other reason than to make you less snippy towards me."

"Go to sleep Potter, Snape said as he left the room.

The next morning Snape awoke to find that Potter was already gone. He checked the time. He still had an hour before breakfast. Stretching he went into his bathroom to get ready. A half hour later he was fully presentable and he had just walked toward the exit of his rooms when he saw a note on the table. It had Potter's messy scrawl on it. 'Why is the boy leaving notes?' Snape wondered.

How many wizards does it take to screw in a light bulb?

A: none a wizard would just use lumos

'That was awful' Snape thought. It was actually so bad a joke that it garnered a slight hint of a laugh.

Snape looked over the paper once more and tucked it into his robes.

Twenty minutes later he was in the Great Hall. He had arrived just in time for the morning post deliveries.

Harry was sitting with Ron and Hermione chatting happily. They didn't know what had happened yet and he wasn't quite ready to tell them yet. He was saved when he saw Hedwig fly in and drop a letter to him. He opened it quickly and saw handwriting that he had grown accustomed to seeing mostly accompanying a D on a paper. It had three words on it.

Dumb but effective

Harry looked up a Snape and the moment he caught the man's eye he smirked just a bit and started planning for tomorrow.


	3. Fun

"You're what!" Ron shouted causing a few of the others in the corridor to turn to him in alarm not that he noticed seeing as Harry had told him something that was more impossible than getting a good DADA teacher. Seriously first, stuttering-Dark Lord-hiding Quarrel, then Lockheart. The guy had only lasted three days before someone who was in St. Mungo's after being obliviated recovered enough to say that he had been oblivated by Lockheart. Upon further investigation it was found that there were quite a few wizards under the forgetting charm that oddly enough were studding the research topics the wizard had published his books on. Well at least that was one less class, until they found a new professor.

"I'm not going to say it again." Harry said. But he was smiling because he had known that Ron's reaction to the news would be explosive. Poor Hermione though, seemed to be in shock because she hadn't said a thing since he had told them, with a wave of the hand, that Snape was now his legal guardian.

"Why?" Hermione asked.

"I was missed the train because my relatives refused to take me and Snape came to fetch me, most likely for being stupid enough to miss the train."

"That still doesn't explain why the snake is your guardian now." Ron protested.

"Things got bad at the Dursley's, really bad, and I was hurt, which is why I missed the first few days of term, but I would rather not think about that okay."

Hermione gasped. She had always suspected that Harry's home life was bad but she had never acted on it and now she felt as though she had failed her friend horribly.

Harry saw this immediately and rushed to reassure her that there was nothing that she could have done for him.

Suddenly Harry felt a strange sensation pass over him then he heard something strange almost a hiss. For a moment he was tempted to ignore it and follow his friends into Transfiguration but then he remembered that Snape had said that he was to go to him immediately if he felt something that was not normal. He definitely thought that this qualified. Harry found that he rather not disobey the first order that his new guardian had given him. One reason is that it meant that something might be wrong and the second reason was that he was still a little skeptical, despite reassurances to the contrary, that Snape wouldn't send him back since, to him at least, it still felt as though the situation was far too good to be true.

"Guys I'll catch up I need to go down and see Snape really quick."

Ron and Hermione looked questioningly at him but they didn't have time to interrogate him because if they lingered much longer they would be late for class and if there was one thing that was learned last year it was that you did not want to be tardy to McGonagall's class especially if you were a Gryffindor.

Harry quickly made his way down to the dungeons. As luck would have it Snape was finished teaching and actually had a free period at the moment.

"Potter what are you doing down here you have Transfiguration this period do you not?"

"Yes sir." Harry said startled that Snape knew his schedule when he yet to memorize it himself. "Last night you told me to come down and see you if I felt anything weird. When I was walking to class I felt a shock-like sensation pass over me and it was odd so I thought that I should come down."

Snape almost smiled. The reckless Gryffindor had actually listened to him. Getting up Snape withdrew his wand and cast a diagnostic charm on Harry. After he got the readings from it he walked over to a shelf and pulled a potion off of it. The potion was light blue and it looked like more of a gas than a liquid. Snape gave it to him and he drunk it down without hesitance. Luckily enough it was flavorless. Harry had more than once been on the receiving end of foul tasting potions due to the fact that he seemed to have a tendency to be injured in quidditch matches and practices for that matter. So it was a relief that that would not be the case this time.

"That should clear up the imbalance." Then Snape picked up a quill to write him a pass. Harry moved to leave when Snape said, "Two points to Gryffindor for using your head and not just ignoring what happened."

"What would have happened if I didn't come down?" Harry asked choosing not to comment on the fact that Snape had given points because coming from Snape two points to Gryffindor was equal to a million points given from anyone else.

"Weakness in some or all of your limbs and or fainting."

"Glad I came down then. Thanks Professor!" Harry said as he grabbed the note.

"Wait here," Snape said suddenly remembering something.

Harry stood uncertainly wondering what he had gone to get.

When Snape returned he had a bag which he handed over.

Harry peeked inside and saw that it was all of his second year supplies which wasn't much now that he didn't have to by the books by Lockheart. That fiasco was known all over the school.

Harry looked up preparing to thank Snape for going to the alley and by the stuff.

"Don't bother the man said sitting back down I used your funds so that you wouldn't have an excuse to fool around in Diagon alley." Snape had of course used his own money but he didn't intend to tell the boy that he had a limit and he had some bit of pride left too thank you very much!

Harry just smiled seeing right through him and his attempt to be an evil old bat and just waved and then he rushed off to Transfiguration.

That night Harry went to the common room and of course his friends grilled him intensively about his current situation. By the time they were satisfied that 'no Snape wasn't plotting to kill him' and that he was not coerced in anyway shape or form into this arrangement by powers unknown, it was time for bed.

The next morning he decided to go simple again in his 'Make Snape Laugh' campaign. He had not told Ron or Hermione about the campaign though it would have been helpful for idea generation but that was because it just seemed private and he found that he did not wish to share that right now and he wasn't sure that he would ever share that with anyone because it felt so private to him.

Snape awoke much the same as he had the morning previous except this time he had slept in his own bed instead of on the sofa. He got dressed and once more he found a note lying on the table.

What do you get when you cross a Gryffindor with a Hufflepuff.

Answer: a cowardly lion

*yes I know that's mean to the puffs but you found it funny didn't you?

Snape couldn't deny it was just a little bit funny. Quickly he deposited the note in his robes just as he had with the one before and then later in the day he would put it with the other one which was tucked in a private drawer in his bedroom. Somehow he hoped that this trend would continue because he found that it was quite enjoyable though he would never admit it. Once again he made it into the Hall just as the morning post was delivered.

Like yesterday Hedwig dropped a letter for Harry.

2/2

"What's that?" Ron asked as he peered over to see what was on the paper.

"Nothing," Harry responded pocketing the note before Ron could get a good look at it.

Ron wanted to force it out of him but then he thought about how it was with his siblings. There was just some stuff that you wanted to keep to yourself and he could respect that. Not to say it would be easy but he would try because Harry was his best friend.

Then Hermione arrived and sat down so he had something else to concentrate on.

"Where have you been?" Ron asked.

"In the library," Hermione said filling her plate with fruit. Then she went on a long explanatory monologue of the fascinating books she had been looking at and both boys looked at each other with identical tortured expressions.

Up at the head table Snape was enduring torment as well. All the talk seemed to concern why he was later to breakfast that usual, how he and Potter were getting on, as well as why he had been given out fewer detentions than normal.

Snape glared ineffectually at all the questions and moodily poked at his eggs and the one lone waffle on his plate. Why was everyone so interested him now? Sure he had technically adopted the boy-who-lived and he might be acting a bit less evil than usual and… well he could see why they were interested but they were teachers they should have better control of themselves and be able to curb their curiosity.

This habit of theirs persisted into lunch hour and it was so draining that he was happy when it was time for the last section of potions for the day. The last period happened to be the section, which contained Potter. This year that did not put him off much to his own surprise. Yesterday the boy had been utterly silent but he attributed that to the potion that he had consumed. That particular one was known to make you tired.

But then it was like that now again today. The boy seemed to be pretending that he didn't even know him. For some reason this really irritated Snape, which it shouldn't. _I am the mean and moody bat of the dungeons for crying out loud and it definitely took more than a snub from this child to hurt me _he thought to himself. That was what he tried to think but by the end of class period he found himself unbearably angry with the boy and unable to deny even to himself that the way that he was being treated by the boy hurt him in a way that he never thought that he could be hurt.

"Potter," he called when the boy turned to leave.

Harry stopped wondering what he had done wrong.

"What is the matter with you?"

Harry was confused what had he done he wondered. He searched the professor's face hoping to make some sense of the anger that was directed at him.

Snape saw the instant that Harry began to despair. The way the boy's face crumbled showed exactly what he was thinking. The idiot boy thought that he had changed his mind about him and was preparing to send him away.

That was confirmed when Harry refused to meet his eyes and mumbled something along the lines of understanding why Severus wouldn't want a useless no good freak like him.

That of course set Snape to feeling like a right git for that and emotions started warring within him, most of them just overflow from other situations, and as a result he finally just broke.

"SHUT UP! STOP BEING SO STUPID! I'M NOT SENDING YOU ANYWHERE YOU FOOLISH CHILD!" He yelled. Then he got up to pace unable to look the boy in the eyes. He stilled and pinched the bridge of his nose to calm himself and continued "I was being stupid okay? You've been ignoring me in class and it made me angry and…" What more could he add to that. It sounded so trivial when voiced.

He was startled when Potter let out a giggle. "I never thought I would see the day that I would hear you call yourself stupid." He said.

"Brat, I said I was _being_ stupid not that I _am_ stupid."

"It was for you."

"What?" Snape asked confused by the unexpected direction that the conversation had taken.

"I was ignoring you for you and for me. The insults would hurt more now that I know the private you and I don't think I can take what it was like before without it hurting twice as much." He mumbled looking down at his shoes.

"I wouldn't… I mean I would but I … "

"I mean it will be the same right? The guardianship thing is just so I won't have to go back to my relatives and will be legally allowed to stay with you in the summers right? I'm sure if you gave another Professor, or even the Weasly's, permission they would take me for the summers. I don't want to be any trouble for you."

"I … it isn't…"

Harry looked up unable to fathom why Snape was choking on the words. He almost did a double take when he saw Snape's face. There was a look on it that he had never expected to see. Snape looked anguished and his black eyes were glittering with unshed tears that he was clearly keeping from spilling over with sheer force of will.

Harry was both shocked and ashamed. He had done something bad enough to break Snape. Before he knew what he was doing he had rushed up to the Professor and locked him in a tight hug apologizing for whatever he did. Like he had said before he did not hate him, and he might dare say he was beginning to like the old bat, and no matter wither he liked the man or not he had always wished that someone would hug him when he cried so he would not begrudge Snape that even if he still harbored the same feelings as he had last year.

To Harry's surprise Snape lifted him up and held him close so that his head ended up on Snape's shoulder. Adjusting himself a bit Harry threw his arms around the man's neck to continue the hug.

Eventually Snape put him down. Stepped away and took a calming breathe. "I apologize I haven't lost control like that in a very long time."

"How long?" Harry asked.

"Ten years or so." The older wizard replied as though that were normal.

If he could have reached then Harry would have thumped him on the head Professor or not. It was unhealthy not to express those kinds of heavy emotions for that long. He knew that from experience since when he did the first few years of his life it usually ended in a crying fit so loud he'd be beaten. Eventually he had learned to manage but Snape was in a class of his own with the ten years thing. Maybe all that repression was why he came off as such a sour individual. That and the man probably didn't know how to have fun. Seriously the man relaxed by reading Potions Monthly how much could he know about fun. Suddenly Harry had an idea.

Grabbing Snape's hand the twelve year old wizard dragged the man that was more than three time his age out of the dungeons, past bewildered students from each House, past a twinkly-eyed Headmaster, past a tabby cat with stunningly intellegent eyes, and out onto the castle grounds. It was a very nice day. Unseasonably warm even this late in the day and Harry dragged him to a soft patch of grass where he pushed him down and took a seat next to him.

"We are going to relax and watch some clouds." Harry announced lying on his back.

For a moment Snape thought about it and then he lay back too seeing as he had let the boy drag him all the way here.

"That one looks like a turtle." Harry said pointing at a blob shaped cloud.

"It doesn't." Snape said.

"Yes it does," Harry argued. "There's the head and that part is the shell see?" he asked pointing out the parts.

"Maybe a Picasso redition of a turtle."

Harry huffed a bit. "Well what do you see up there?"

"Well that one over there looks like a mammoth." Snape pointed.

"You think _that_ looks like a mammoth but you can't see how mine looked like a turtle?"

"You can't see the mammoth?"

"Nope. To me it resembles an exploded potion more than anything."

"You'd definitely know what that looks like wouldn't Potter?"

"Hey I'm not that bad at potions!" Harry protested. Seriously he was no Hermione but he was better than quite a few in his year thank you very much.

They stayed out for about a half an hour before it was time to go to dinner. Niether of them agreed on any cloud shape not because they didn't see them but because it was simply more fun to disagree.

When they reached the castle doors Snape did a cleansing charm on both their robes and then they headed off to the Great Hall for dinner. Once everyone had finished filing in Dumbledore stood.

"Due to the recent circumstances the Ministry has appointed one of their own to the DADA teaching position. This is Delores Umbridge and she will be teaching the position from tommorow onward."

The lady that he had indicted stood inclined her head and sat back down studing the students with an intense glare. When her eyes fell on Harry he felt a shiver pass through him though that was hidden by his robes.

Soon though, the new DADA teacher was put to the back of his mind because he began talking to his friends. Ron had just said something about a prank that Fred and George had pulled on Percy one year before going off to Hogwarts when things got really weird.

It was like someone had filled his ears with cotton. Nothing was penitrating the cotton either so he thought he was just suddely deaf. Wouldn't be the weirdiest thing that had ever happeneded to him at Hogwarts. That was until he heard the sound he had earlier. The hissing. For a moment though it seemed as though it was speaking to him. It was getting louder and louder until he covered his ears. But that didn't help because the sound was in his head! It was so loud! Suddenly it stopped and the world went black.

**A/N Okay this was a long time a coming and I meant to update way sooner that's why this is over 3000 words even without the author's note. This chap is OOC for Harry and Snape (good thing I don't own them right?) and I know that and you know that but dispite it all the stuff refused to cooperate and change itself into less OOC ness. -_- *presents creative licence as an excuse* anyways I tried and it's leading up to some good stuff. The Umbrige quill scene and some stuff with the Basilisk plus punishment for the Dursley's (havent forgot that) and so much more. So yeah I got plans for it so stick with me even though this installment is kinda sucky. Till next time! Don't forget to review specially on this chapter because I need the opinions. Oh and feel free to suggest stuff it really helps the writing process. **


	4. Sunday

Harry awoke in the Hospital Wing he knew that, that was where he was the instant that he got a whiff of the air around him. It was further cemented by the sounds or lack thereof signaling that it was either night or nobody except him was currently residing in the Wing. He could hear some owls flying past though so- wait he realized that he could hear!

That was when yesterday came back to him. At least he hoped that it was only yesterday because he didn't want to wake and find that he had spent days here. If that were the case it would mean he had missed more classes. He wasn't worried about the Professors' reactions they would be easy to handle. But Hermione would shriek like a banshee saying that he was purposefully trying to avoid classes. Let her tell it the avoidance of class was the eighth deadly sin.

Decided he opened his eyes thinking that it would be a good idea to find out his current situation. He had expected to see Madame Pomfrey clucking about and ready to pounce now that he was awake. So when the sight that he was greeted with did not mesh with the expected one he rubbed his eyes to be sure that he wasn't hallucinating. Sure enough Severus Snape still occupied the obviously transfigured chair by his bedside. If he had needed any more proof that Snape was committed to creating a better relationship with him this would definitely be it.

Snape was curled in on himself in the chair still asleep. His hair fell over one side of his face and his robes were a bit rumpled from the night spent in the chair. Next to the chair was a table that held essays that he we grading. But the most startling thing was that someone had inserted into Snape's hand a small stuffed snake that was green with a stripe of silver on his head. It had to be one of the Professors that had done it because they were the only ones who wouldn't fear death because of it and what's more Snape didn't seem like someone that would be a heavy sleeper.

This suspicion was proven correct when Harry got up from the bed and tapped him on the shoulder. Snape jerked awake. He was halfway going for his wand before he realized that he was in the Hospital Wing and that it was Harry that had woken him up. Then he noticed the stuffed snake. For a moment he glared at the stuffed snake as though it had put itself there or maybe he was thinking that it was an insult to his person. But whatever he was thinking he eventually got calm enough where he could take out his wand.

Realizing that Snape was going to destroy the toy Harry yelled "Stop!"

Snape halted his actions and looked at Harry.

Harry reached up and saved the little stuffed snake from its fate and held it close to his chest to protect it.

At first Snape was shocked but then he realized that Harry had only ever had cast offs so it made sense that he had never had a toy before that was bought new for him or given to him new which he would rectify immediately. The older wizard felt a little guilty that he had been about to destroy it. Perhaps one day he should take him to a toy store. Purely so that he wouldn't go without being able to pick out a toy for himself no child in his care would go without that simple courtesy because that would reflect badly on him. Preferably he would be able to have this outing before Christmas since the boy would be staying with him and Albus was sure to go wild with gifts. He mentally shuddered at the thought of what Christmas would be like if he let Albus have his way. It was a terrifying thought.

Snape cleared his throat. "You can keep it." Snape said since the boy was still squeezing the toy tightly as though the moment he put it down he was going to destroy it.

For a moment Harry was stunned. Snape was letting him have it. He had never had a toy given to him before. The closest thing that he had ever had was an old teddy bear that he had rescued from the rubbish bin it had the stuffing falling out of it and used to belong to Dudley before it was thrown away and subsequently saved by him.

Then once again, Snape found himself in a position that he was starting to fear would be a daily occurrence if he wasn't careful. Harry was hugging him as though he had just been given the world's best gift and not a stuffed toy that had been about to meet the same fate as a few other of its make and model.

"Does he have a name?" Harry asked from his perch upon Severus.

"No, but feel free to name it."

"Silver," Harry said after a moment. "Silver the snake."

Snape rolled his eyes. "How original." He said.

Harry shrugged. "I was going to call him Severus but I didn't want him to get confused."

"Let me get this straight. You were going to give it-"

"Him," Harry interrupted.

"_Him" _he acquiesced "_my_ name and you wanted to avoid confusion for _him."_

"Got it in one," Harry said with a smile.

"Merlin, help me," Snape sighed. "Here let me see him for a moment."

When Harry hesitated he said. "I'm not going to destroy it." He assured the boy.

After a quick murmured spell Snape handed it back to him.

For a moment Harry wondered what he had done to Silver. Then he knew. The snake was moving now, he wasn't alive in the conventional sense of the word but he was able to move, he was warm and he could also speak. For a moment Harry was stunned that Snape had done that.

"Hello," Silver said.

"Hello," Harry replied.

"Friend?" Silver aked.

"Of course I am."

"You're a Parselmouth!"Snape said voice cracking in surprise.

"What's that?" Harry asked.

"You were speaking to a snake in the language of the snakes." Snape explained.

"Is that bad?" Harry asked a bit worried at the way that Snape was looking at him.

"No it's not bad," Severus hurried to reassure the young wizard. "It's a very special and rare gift but you must keep it a secret. A lot of people think that it is evil. It is **not** but people do think it is, so the less people aware that you can talk to snakes the better.

"Yes sir," Harry said holding Silver closer to him.

A little while later Madame Pomfrey returned to her lair and found Harry asleep in Snape's arms with a stuffed green and silver snake clutched tightly to his chest with one hand and the other hand balled into a fist clutching just as tightly to Snape's teaching robes.

Poppy couldn't help but sigh. It was quite an adorable sight and she intended to preserve the memory for a long time and perhaps show some of the other professors.

"Time to get up," Snape said quietly to his charge once he had caught sight of Poppy watching them.

Harry huffed out a breath and batted away the hand that had woken him. That accomplished he snuggled more fiercely into Snape and tightened his hold on the robe and went back to sleep.

Poppy laughed quietly and Severus sent her a look that was clearly screaming 'Help me!'

"Looks like you are going to be carrying him," Poppy said.

Snape looked at wondering what she was talking about since there was no way that he was going to carry Potter up to Gryffindor Tower.

"He should be under supervision for the rest of the day at least. I could find nothing wrong with him aside from the fact that something has drained some of the energy from his magical core. He is fine now and just needs to rest and I think that you should take him down into your rooms so that both of you can rest up a bit." The fact that she thought that Severus looked tired went unsaid. How the man still denied that he cared deeply for the boy was beyond her comprehension.

Nodding Severus pulled himself out of the chair surprised by his stiffness. Then he bundled up the papers that he had been grading and shrunk them so that they would fit in his robes all without jostling the primate that was currently clinging to him. With a nod to Poppy, Snape then left the Hospital Wing and headed down to the dungeons hoping that he met nobody that he knew, or anybody at all preferably, on the way down because it was bad enough that Poppy had seen him anyone else added to that and his life would be over.

"You're a lot of trouble you know that?" he told the prone form in his arms. Even though he was intending it to be a bit mean his voice came out a little too fond for his tastes. _Good heavens what is this boy doing to me?_ He thought to himself.

The words permeated Harry's dream as did the tone with which the words had been spoken and he smiled happily.

When they got down to the dungeon Snape attempted to lay the boy down on his bed intending to take the couch again. When he tried though, Harry clung tighter to him with a strength that bellied his small form.

Bleary eyes blinked up at him pleading with him stay. Snape sighed and decided that he might as well just bury his old reputation now. It was becoming too hard to hold on to nowadays away.

"Let me get dressed for bed and I'll come back." He said. "I promise," he added when the hand still didn't let go.

"The pajamas that have the potions on them?" asked the still sleepy pre-teen.

Snape smiled a bit. He remembered that he had been wearing those when the boy had woken up here only two days ago and saw him in that stupid pair of pajamas that the Headmaster had gotten him for Christmas last year.

_Why not? _ He thought. _ My image and pride are gone all ready anyway._

Ten minutes later Snape was wearing the requested pajamas and at the request of the boy he slipped into the bed with him and once again the boy was clinging fiercely to him. Snape was happy that it was the weekend. Hopefully he could sleep in.

The next morning Snape woke alone in the bed. For a moment he had to wonder why that was such a shock to him. Then he remembered that last night he had, had a small twelve-year-old was clinging to him.

After stretching he got up to see where the boy had gotten off to.

"Morning Professor," Harry called from the kitchen area when he heard the man moving around in the rooms. Harry had cooked breakfast. For the first time though, it was because he wanted to and not because he had to. Also for the first time he would sit at the table and eat something he had cooked with another person. Of course he wasn't going to tell Snape that because he had some pride and last night he was childish enough to last for years. Honestly he feared the reaction of the Professor this morning because Harry was a twelve year old and he had no right to act like such a baby. Harry had been terrified when he had woken up to find that everything that he had _thought_ happened yesterday had really happened. As a result he made breakfast the muggle way to calm his nerves.

Snape for his part was surprised that Harry had cooked. Of course he had lived amongst muggles for extended periods of time so he had knowledge and familiarity with the muggle way of cooking but he had never expected that Potter would ever cook for him.

As soon as Snape sat down a plate was put in front of him. It had on it three strips of bacon and two scrambled eggs. On a spate plate were two fluffy, golden brown pancakes. To drink there was a pitcher of tea and another one of water. After Potter had finished serving him he dished out his own portion which was unreasonably smaller than the amount that he had placed in front of him. After the boy had fished that he brought out the rest of the food that he had made.

For a moment Snape was astounded there was enough extra for them to both have more than seconds yet the boy had only place one egg and one strip of bacon on his plate along with a marginally smaller pancake.

"Don't worry sir; I know to wash the dishes afterwards." Harry said when he caught the professor looking at him. he hoped that was what the look meant and that he hadn't done the wrong thing in sitting at the table and dining with him. Snape was still looking at him oddly and he realized that he had forgotten to pour the tea! That must have been why Snape wasn't eating yet. Hurriedly Harry got up from his seat and poured the tea hoping that Snape wouldn't be to mad that he had forgotten to do so in the first place. The last time that he had done that at the Dursley's he had gotten no food for the rest of the day.

"What is the matter with you boy-"

Harry looked down at his socked feet. That was the way that Uncle Vernon had started every sentence when he had done something wrong. It always ended with him being put out of the house or being thrown in his cupboard and later on being shut in the small room that Dudley had been forced to give to him.

Severus knew the moment that Harry had looked down and refused to meet his eyes that he had said something wrong. He didn't know what but somehow he had made the boy flash back to the memories of his past guardians.

"Potter," he called out trying to get the boy's attention. "Harry!" he called a bit louder.

Startled Harry's eyes shot up to meet Severus's and the potion's master could see that there were unshed tears there.

"I'm sorry for whatever I said that reminded you of them. I had merely wanted tell you that you are not my servant. So get back in your seat and eat then we have to talk okay?"

Harry nodded glumly; he was not looking forward to the conversation at all.

After breakfast the two wizards relocated to the couch. Where Severus, with a gentleness he was shock to learn he possessed, coaxed Harry into telling him a bit more about what those creatures, for the muggles didn't deserve to have those three lumped in with their kind, had done to him.

Harry only told him the basic things like starvation, the absurd amount of chores that he had been required to complete on the daily basis and how they had called him mean names and said bad stuff about his mom and dad. Severus knew that there was much more that Harry wasn't telling him and he had only hoped that the brutes hadn't done anything to the boy sexually.

Then Severus realized that he was guilty of some of the things that they were. Sure he hadn't beaten the boy of took away his food but he had said some mean things about the boy's father and insulted him on the daily basis. He wondered how the boy had been able to see past that and trust him in spite of it. Severus's facade had been broken by the awakening of protective instincts and worry that the child might die. But Harry was unconscious for all of that and had only known him, the real him, essentially for less than four days and already he was so trusting of him and Severus just couldn't understand how. If it had been him in the same situation he probably wouldn't have ever trusted anyone ever again especially an adult.

When Severus voiced this Harry looked at him as though he had just said that Delores Umbridge was the sexiest woman on the planet. Harry easily explained that while yes Severus had been harsh in his actions toward him it was because he was operating under the false assumption that everyone muggle and magical alike pampered him like a little prince.

Not sure what to say to that Severus went into the room and retrieved the bathrobe that he put over his pajamas and then he grabbed silver from the bed. Once he was back in the living area he handed the stuffed snake over to the child and went over to the fireplace to floo the Headmaster's.

"Ah Severus my boy, to what do I owe the unexpected pleasure of your call?"

"I need you to come down Albus."

Catching the tone in his voice Dumbledore was down in the dungeons in mere moments.

"Harry you have to tell him what you told me." Severus told the boy pulling him onto his lap and ignoring the twinkle that the action ignited in the Headmaster's eyes.

After Harry told him the briefest bits of the torture that had been his childhood he could see that the Headmaster looked like he was torn between outrage and guilt. "You didn't know sir." Harry asked tentatively.

"Oh Harry. Of course I didn't know. You must believe me if I even had the slightest clue… of course I knew that they might harbor distaste for you because of your parentage and your inheritance but I never dreamed that they would harm you like that." Dumbledore said. His countenance had finally settled on outrage and it was clear to the two in the room that he w2as just keeping his magic under control because they could feel the build-up of magical pressure in the room.

With a vindictive smirk Snape made a suggestion. "What do you two saw say to a Impromptu trip to Surrey?"

For a second Harry looked a bit scared he had never wanted to go back there. But then his Gryffindor courage shone through and he nodded hesitantly. "You can take you invisibility cloak if you need to." Snape whispered to him. Harry looked surprised as though he thought that Snape hadn't known about that. Snape raised an eyebrow as though to say 'of course I know about that.'

Dumbledore had managed to calm down sufficiently and he now looked as eager to punish- umm discipline the cretins that had dare to harm Harry.

"Would you mind if I added one more to our party?" Dumbledore asked.

Snape knew instantly who Albus meant. Having Minerva with them would be fun since she was as protective of her lions as he was of his snakes.

"What will you do to them?" Harry asked.

"What would you like us to do to them Harry?" Dumbledore asked. "I'm sure that between Minerva, Severus, and myself we can accomplish whatever you desire."

"I just want them to know." Harry said quietly. "I want them to know what they did to me felt."

"It is a fairer punishment than they deserve but we will adhere to your wish." Then the old man's eyes twinkled a bit. "Can we at least appear in our robes when we go?"

Harry smiled a bit he knew that they would hate that and he quickly agreed. "Are you going to wear the bright purple ones?" Harry asked.

The old man puzzled for a bit. "No this occasion, I believe, calls for the pink ones."

"You have _pink_ robes!?" Harry laughed in surprise.

"Severus bought them for me last year for my birthday. Quite thoughtful of him wasn't it?"

"I never thought he would actually like them," Snape mumbled

Less than half an hour later found them on Privet Drive. There were three wizards, one dressed in black teaching robes, one dressed in a new bright green dress robe with a stuffed snake wrapped around his neck that was moving every minute or so at his command, and the last in bright pink robes with his long silver hair pulled back in a ponytail tied back with a pink hair tie. There was also a witch with them carried by the pink clad wizard in her animagus form of a tabby cat.

They made quite the scene walking down the street on a Sunday afternoon. Soon all four of them reached the address of number four Privet Drive and the pink robe wearing wizard knocked on the door. It was answered by one of the fattest boy's that they had ever laid eyes upon.

"Dad! There are some weirdos at the door!"

When Vernon Dursley came to the door and saw the scene on his front porch he tried to shut the door only to be stopped by the tall wizard dressed in black. "I wouldn't do that if I were you." Snape snarled tempted to do some of the small Dark Curses that he knew. It was obvious when the man had realized exactly who he had tried to shut the door on.

With that warning the group was ushered in with the utmost haste. Then the beefy man eyes alighted on the smallest male in the group and glared with a force that caused him to take a step back. Snape took a breath to stop himself from grabbing his wand and hexing the man. Then he picked up the small preteen and glared full force at Vernon before venomously snarling out, "**You will never hurt what's ****_mine_**** ever again you worthless excuse for a muggle!**" Silver hissed from his perch on Harry in agreement with Severus. Silver might not be poisonous but it would still hurt if he bit someone and the big bully might just be that someone if he kept acting the way that he was.

"Is your wife home?" Dumbledore asked.

Vernon nodded still shell-shocked.

Five minutes later all the inhabitants of the house were seated. The wizards and the witch that had come out of her animagus form on one side and the Dursely's on the other.

"So," Dumbledore said with his natural politeness. "We," he indicated himself and the rest of the magical folk present, "Are here to address the treatment that this young wizard had while he lived in this house. Now don't bother to lie for I already know the truth and I have seen the evidence of your tender care."

"I am normally a very patient and kind man but even I have a limit to what I can take. I for one wanted to turn you all into mice or something of the sort but young Harry here doesn't want you harmed and I promised not do anything against that wish. What he did want was for you all to feel what he felt," Each adult took a Dursley and cast a charm. It had no physical effects. It was all mental. Harry had given them a few of the more painful memories and those were what was now playing in the all three of the Dursley's minds. But instead of Harry in the memory it would be them experiencing exactly what they had put the boy through.

Harry watched as their expression went from pain to sadness and back to pain again and by the end he could tell that they understood how he felt. He hoped they would be better for the experience for he wouldn't be coming back to this place. Boy would never forgive them. Freak would never forgive them either. But Harry _would_. The façades he had cultivated for survival here would be left behind today. It had hurt so much but now people knew and he would never have to come back to this place again.

"Let's go," Harry said quietly.

All three adults looked at the youngest in the room. Nodded to one another and walked out of the door.

"Thank you," Harry said as they walked his eyes brighter than any of them had ever seen before.

Suddenly Harry found himself once more in the arms of his ex-most hated professor.

"How about we get some ice cream," The wizard suggested.

Harry nodded enthusiastically. It had been a long time since he had ice cream.

The two older wizards let the younger ones go ahead. So they were surprised when Severus turned around. "Aren't you two coming?" the man asked.

Albus and Minerva looked at each other wondering if the man had hit his head. Then they shrugged whatever had happened to him they liked this new version of Severus and then hurried to catch up to him.

**A/N wow that was a lot. it's over 4000 words i meant to put umbridge in this one but it got so long i decided to split the chapter up here. Anyway i want to pair Sevy off with someone. any suggestions? anyone is fair game but Minerva because i think she and Dumbledore have something going on. oh and please dont suggest students. **


	5. of Blood Quills and Adoptions

The second week of term had passed fairly smoothly and the beginning of the third week of school came quickly. It was a nice day even though it was a bit chilly outdoors. Harry knew that the third week of term was when the Professors really started piling on the homework since typically any homework given during the first two weeks was either poorly done or not done at all except for Hermione of course since she lived for academics. Snape of course did not follow this unwritten tradition and had given an essay on the first day of class by proxy and after Harry woke up and he resumed his teaching he had given another one just to make sure that the students weren't getting lazy. Harry was just happy that he, unlike the other victims of Snape homework would be able to turn it in a bit later. It was the same with some of his summer homework due to his circumstances.

All of the Professors knew that he wasn't treated very nicely during the summer break and although they weren't told to what extent the abuse had reached; they all gave him an extension without too much hassle. All except for Snape that is, but that was just to keep some measure of dignity but it didn't matter much since he got help after class and when he came down to the dungeons to study in Snape's room.

The day had gone really well. Snape had appreciated his lame joke. (Why is it a good thing snakes don't have legs? Because if they did they wouldn't be Slytherin.) Seamus didn't blow anything or anyone up in charms to Flitwick's utter relief and everyone including Neville was able to turn the button into a teacup in Transfiguration.

The next class was DADA. Nobody really had thought that Umbridge would be any good since that seemed to be the trend in a DADA teacher that had been hired. But it was worse than anyone could have possibly thought. The first day had only been book work and a warning that there would be a test, not a quiz but a full blown test, on next week it would cover the reading that was assigned in the new text that most of them hadn't got around to purchasing yet. It was obvious to everyone in the class that they wouldn't be learning to defend against the dark arts though. Even Hermione who loved reading like most students loved sweets thought that it was a bit stupid. Defense was supposed to be an active class hence the name of the course not being _history_ of the dark arts.

Privately Harry was thinking that they should start a club so that they could get in some practice with some simple spells so that they wouldn't be too far behind when Umbridge was, inevitably, replaced by the end of the year with a teacher that would actually be teaching them something.

The days came really and went really fast with all the things that were going on and the highlights of Harry's days had been Severus's reactions to his lame jokes over the last couple of days. Some of his favorites were:

Q: Why did the griffin cross the hall?

A: To get to the other door.

He received a roll of the eyes at the breakfast table for that one.

Q: What should the mascot be for Hufflepuff?

A: The Big Bad Wolf

*Get it? It's 'cause it huffs and it puffs.

That garnered a note that cursed muggle fairytale. But between the lines Harry could read that the professor found this joke funny.

'Couldn't come up with one for Ravenclaw. *shrug*'

The note that morning said 'thanks for not forcing me to suffer for the sake of your questionable sense of humor. But what it really said was 'that was a surprise but I prefer the humor'

Other than that bit of happiness though, life in the castle was kind of boring and that was mainly because Quidditch hadn't really started up yet since they were just practicing and there was just so much homework to get done and they weren't even one month into the year. It also might have had something to do with the fact that Snape only allowed him to stay in the dungeons on the weekend. Harry knew that it was so that he didn't damage his relationships with his Housemates but he still wanted to spend time with his Guardian. It wasn't to be though because he had to spend both of the weekends doing his summer homework along with the newly given assignments although Snape did help a bit the _insane_ amount of potions work he had to do.

In DADA the tests were handed back. To everyone's shock Hermione didn't get the top score. "Professor," Hermione said, her voice shaking a bit, "I think you may have made a mistake in grading mine."

"No I didn't Miss Granger. You cheated on the test so you got a zero just as you deserved."

"Professor, Hermione doesn't cheat. She doesn't need to. She helped me and Ron study so I know she knew the answers." Harry said keeping his voice leveled and calm even though he felt outraged that his friend had been accused of cheating. If anyone should be accused of cheating it would be that one Slytherin everyone had seen him peeking at his notes during the test. He heard others murmur in agreement since they knew that Hermione would die before she would cheat on a test.

"That earns you a detention Mr. Potter and five points from Gryffindor."

"May I ask why Professor?" Harry asked as calmly as he possibly could under the circumstances.

"For lying to a teacher and blatant disrespect of said teacher. Five more point from Gryffindor."

"But-" Harry started.

"Another detention."

Steaming with anger Harry clutched at the desk and said nothing else.

The next class was potions and Harry was still very angry from the fiasco DADA with Umbridge. Snape was a bit surprised when Harry entered the classroom with a look of fury on his features, the last time that he had seen Harry this worked up it was his fault since he had taken thirty points from Gryffindor just to be a bastard to the boy. He regretted that now that he knew the reason that the boy had disobeyed him. He was even trying be a bit more civil to the Gryffindor's' by taking less House points during class than he usually did.

"What's the matter?" Snape asked him after class was finally dismissed.

"I got two detentions and ten points deducted from Gryffindor." Harry growled still upset.

"For what?" Snape asked sensing that it was a bit more complicated then losing a few House points and two detentions. If Potter had got mad every time that happened…

"Umbridge gave Hermione a zero on the test because she said that Hermione had cheated on it. I told her that Hermione didn't need to cheat so she gave me a detention and took points. I _politely_ asked why and she took more points and told me that it was because I was lying and disrespecting her by contradicting her by saying that my friend doesn't need to cheat on a test. I went to say that was unfair so she gave me another detention."

Snape had to admit that it was a trifle bit unfair and coming from him, a man that would be called the King of Unfairness, that was saying something considering that he was accused of unfairness all of that all the time, he would be an excellent judge of what is unfair. He would have to step up his game if he wanted to retain his title of the most hated professor in the school it seemed.

Harry wasn't the only student in the school that was having trouble with the Ministry's lackey though. Just yesterday he had overheard some of his snakes complaining about her. But that wasn't even the craziest part a Hufflepuff and a Gryffindor that were walking behind them had over heard and agreed with them. But to hear that the woman had given Granger a zero was a surprise as well. Even he had never done that sure he had given her E's just to upset her but he had never failed one of her papers. Well before McGonagall threated him with being strung up by his… never mind.

"Do you want me to talk to her for you?" He asked Harry.

"No sir, I'll just serve the detentions. I wont have her saying that I'm calling in favors and wrapping Professors around my finger to get what I want any more than she does already."

"Is the detention tonight?"

"Yes sir. I have one tonight and one on Friday."

"Well come down after the one on Friday. You can sleep in my room."

"Okay sir but why?"

"We are going to Diagon Alley to get you some clothes that fit. I can't very well have my charge running around in clothes that are three sizes to big under his robes."

Harry blushed a bit embarrassed that his professor knew about that and hurried of to dinner so that he could eat something before he went to Umbridge so that he could serve his first detention.

When he sat at his usual place, beside Ron and across from Hermione, Hermione said,

"I'm sorry Harry."

"For what?" asked the raven-haired wizard as he put some food on his plate.

"I got you in trouble in Umbridge's class," she said.

"That wasn't your fault 'Mione. I don't blame you."

Hermione startled at the nickname but decided that she liked it and smiled at him happy that he didn't blame her.

"Well I'll see you two later." He said as he got up so that he could drop his stuff off in the tower before he went to detention.

He showed up five minutes early to the detention wanting to be cautious so that he didn't get into more trouble with the old toad that was a million times worse than Snape ever was.

"Ah Mr. Potter," she said as he walked in. "You will write 'I will not tell lies' six hundred times. I have already have set up a spot for you over there."

Harry balled his hands into fists. He knew that doing six hundred lines would take so long that he would be out after curfew.

Nevertheless, Harry sat at the desk and picked up the quill. Then he noticed that there was no inkwell. "I think you forgot to set out the ink." He told the professor in a soft voice hoping that she wouldn't use him speaking as a reason to dish out another detention to him.

"No I didn't," she said with a gleeful grin that was almost wolfish in nature. "Just write and see what happens."

Harry decided that it must be one of those self-inking quill. He had seen some of the teachers with them.

'I will-'he wrote and then he noticed the slight stinging on his hand. Thinking it was nothing more than mere coincidence he finished the sentence. When the pain became more pronounced than before he looked at the back of his hand and saw the words on his skin before they faded.

He was instantly horrified. He was writing in his own blood! For a moment he considered protesting but then he remembered that protesting would cause more trouble. If he told anyone the toad would certainly say that he was lying and that he had gouged the words into his own hand with a quill in an effort to get her in trouble and because she was an adult they would believe her.

So he continued to write the lines in his blood. The pain was bad when he reached one hundred and tears were building by two hundred. By three hundred the lines were so shaky that it was barely decipherable and that was in part because of the tears that were freely running down his face at this point. He quickly wiped the tears away not wanting to get any of those on the parchment. By the time it wrote the sentence for the last time it was past midnight and he felt incredibly dizzy and nauseous.

After leaving Umbridge he went to the loo to wrap his bloody hand nearly passing out at the pain of washing it. Then, somehow, he made his way to Gryffindor tower collapsing once he was inside the portrait and just barely managing to pick himself up about an hour later to get into bed.

The next detention with her was a repeat of the first. It was even harder this time because the skin still ached and he was so tired because he had put in so much effort this week making sure that no one, not even Ron or Hermione and especially not Snape found out about the injury. After the detention was so awful that this time that instead of only wrapping his hand when he visited the loo he threw up the little that he had eaten during dinner and he was relatively certain that he had hit his head by passing out at some point while he was making his way to the dungeons.

When he got to the portrait that covered the professor quarters he mumbled the password.

Seeing that the couch was empty he dropped onto it and fell into an exhausted sleep.

In the morning his professor awakened him. He still felt awful but he remembered that they had planned the outing for today and he didn't want to mess that up because not only would he be getting things from the shops he would get to spend some time alone with his guardian in a non-academic setting.

After a quick shower and a breakfast of cereal which he made an effort to at even though it upset his stomach, though he was careful not to let that show because if he did Snape would find out about him being sick and then they wouldn't go to the alley. Even worse Snape would get tired of him constantly being hurt and make him go away. Not back to the Dursley's he knew the potions master wouldn't send him back there seeing as he had gone mental the last time he had brought them up but that didn't mean that once whatever reason the man had for taking him in was gone that he would not be forced onto another caretaker and that would just happen quicker if he needed constant care all the time.

The alley was just as he remembered it from first year. It was even better now because this time he didn't have to put up with random people that knew more about everything than he did. Also he didn't have to worry that people would recognize him since he had a hat on to cover his scar.

For an hour the two wandered the alley purchasing casual robes, dress robes, muggle attire, some books, and a few other odds and ends before deciding on getting lunch at the Leaky Cauldron. The two of them sat in an isolated corner of the room and ordered some food.

"Harry what's wrong," Snape asked in concern as Harry pushed his plate away, after consuming less than a bite, and put his head down on the table.

Harry couldn't speak. He knew that the moment that he opened his mouth he would be sick. He had put the fatigue to the back of his mind so that he could enjoy the day but now it had come back to him and he couldn't even move if he had wanted to.

Snape looked worriedly at the child. He had noticed, despite Harry's best efforts of concealment, that the boy was a bit withdrawn today. Even when they had stopped by the Quidditch supplies shop the boy's enthusiasm had been lacking.

At first he had assumed that the boy's subdued actions were because he was with him.

Not many people felt comfortable when he was around and he realized that the thought that his presence alienated the boy was a little more hurtful than it had any right to be. It also made him realize that if Harry's trust in him was strictly limited to being in private

Harry would outright leave him once he knew of his involvement in the death of his parents. But then he had noticed that they boy had stayed close to him and he obviously had been excited about this outing. So he hoped that Harry would be able to forgive the folly of his youth that he himself had been trying to atone for, for so many years.

Severus put a hand to the back of the boy's neck and recoiled immediately. The boy was burning up! Could it be that somehow the weakness from the trauma had come back? Was it a complication with the thing that had taken energy from his magical core a couple of weeks ago? Snape tried to make the boy sit up but Harry feebly smacked the hand away moaning in pain when he realized that he had done it with the injured hand.

It was then that professor noticed the wrapping on the hand. Gently he pulled off the wrapping only to find that the wound was infected and bloody. Gently he wiped away the blood and then he saw it. 'I will not tell lies' was carved into the Harry's hand. For a moment he feared the boy had turned to self-harm as some abused children do. That fear made him want to push into the boy's mind to see what had made him feel that he had to do something like this. But he realized at the last moment that using Legilimency on the boy would not only erode any the trust that the boy had for him, and he knew that he would need all of that when he revealed that he was a Death Eater, he also thought that it might aggravate Harry's condition.

Snape tried to heal the wound with his magic only to have the spells nullified before they could reach the wound. Severus's eyes blazed with fury. The only way spells reacted that particular way was either that there was a restriction spell, which was unlikely in this case as Harry was only a second year or that the wound had been made by a dark object. It was equally unlikely that the boy had been exposed to such an object but more likely than the other scenario.

Snape looked closer at the wound. If he had to guess he would say that it had been a blood quill. But nobody would use one of them at Hogwarts. He thought back to the morning when he saw Harry. The wound was recent so with the last week. But it seemed to have healed a bit and then been opened again last night if he had to guess. The only place that Harry had been after his class yesterday until he woke up in the morning to finding the child asleep on his sofa was to the Great Hall for dinner and then to Umbridge to serve his detention. But she wouldn't have made the child use a blood quill would she? The fury spread. If she had she would feel his wrath. Nobody had the right to hurt a child in that fashion and he or she sure as hell had no right to hurt **his** with a blood quill.

A groan brought him out of his internal thoughts and back to the fact that Potter was injured and that he needed to get him back to the school now so that he could be treated by Poppy. He himself would hunt out Umbridge and if she had used a blood quill on his charge she was going to pay dearly.

When Harry awoke again he was surprised to find that he was once again in the Hospital Wing. Silver was tucked in with him and by that he surmised that Snape had been there since he was careful to always leave Silver in the Professor's rooms.

_"Harry" _Silver said happily letting his tongue touch his human.

Harry hugged the snake tighter than he had before. For a moment he paused he knew that he was forgetting something. Then he realized that his hand didn't hurt as much as it had.

Before he could puzzle over this phenomenon for too long though, he heard footsteps approaching. It turned out to be both Snape and Dumbledore.

Snape looked very, very mad. Harry shivered a bit and wondered what he had done to deserve that kind of look.

"Now Severus, there is no need to scare the poor boy right after he has just woken up." Dumbledore chided .

"She used a blood quill on him and he did not tell me!" Snape retorted outraged the old man couldn't see how wrong that was.

Harry startled at that. How did Snape find out about that? "I was scared you wouldn't believe me." Harry said whispered before he realized that he was even speaking.

Both heads turned to look at him.

"She's an adult and she would say I was lying and that I had done this to myself so that she would get in trouble. She's always talking about how I have all the staff doing my bidding and that I shouldn't expect the same from her just because I'm famous. I had just ignored it because it was the same speech that I had gotten from the old you Professor. I never thought that she would hurt me though."

"So in order to not be accused of lying you allowed her to do this to you and didn't say anything?" Snape asked in a dangerously calm tone.

"Yes sir." Harry mumbled.

"I'm going to kill her." Snape growled his mane of hair moving a bit with the magic that was pouring out of him. Dumbledore placed his hand on the man's shoulder to calm him down.

"Now Severus I know that you care for the boy but I hardly-"

Snape turned on the Headmaster before he could finish his sentence. "it's because I care for him that I will do it!"

"You care about me?" Harry whispered.

Snape rolled his eyes. "I know that stupidity is in your genes but surely you realized that Potter." Snape bit sarcastically.

Harry smiled, coming from Snape that was basically a declaration of love.

Before the boy could speak however, Madame Pomfrey came in and ushered the two older wizards out for causing such a ruckus in her domain while the boy still needed to rest.

The two wizards relocated to Dumbledore's office. Dumbledore allowed Severus to vent for a moment until the potions master had calmed down enough so that the two of them could have a civil conversation.

"So what will we be doing about her?"

"Well I have it on good authority that there will be a conference down in the dungeons tomorrow but sadly I don't think that anyone can make it. Would you be able to inform Professor Umbridge of this development?"

Snape smiled. Dumbledore was such a sly old fox and if he didn't know better he would have thought the man was a Slytherin.

"Of course." Snape said solemnly.

"Good now that that's taken care of you said that you had something that you needed to talk with me about?" Dumbledore asked as he stroked Fawkes's head when the bird came over to him.

"Yes," Snape nodded. "I don't think that I can do the role of a spy anymore."

"What's wrong?" Dumbledore asked concerned.

"When the Dark Lord returns to a corporal state I would be forced to place myself in danger when I played my part. But I don't think that I can do that now."

"Harry," Dumbledore said.

"Yes. I have found that I care a lot for the boy and I know that he trusts me and I don't want him to be in state of constant worry every time that I have to respond to the Dark Lord's call."

"Have you told him that you wish to adopt him?" Dumbledore asked.

"I – I never… how did you…"

"It's obvious Severus."

"When you say it like that it sounds absurd. He'll never go for it. Never mind, Albus when I tell him what I'm guilty of he'll hate me and curse me and I won't blame him not one little bit. Seriously who would want me as their parent? Who would want me for anything?" Severus said with a bitter laugh. "Forget it Albus I'll just leave."

"My office?" Dumbledore questioned a little shocked at Severus's abnormal behavior.

"The castle, Albus. I'm useless to you if I am not a spy. If Potter wishes to join me, which he won't, I will find a way to work it out."

"Severus I should let Fawkes eat you for being stupid enough to say thing like that." With that the phoenix flew onto the dark-haired man's shoulder. Fawkes opened his beak and took a lick as a taste test and flew back to Dumbledore and gave a nod that could have been saying 'he tastes well enough to eat. Perhaps a little bit of sugar?'.

Severus gulped and shivered suddenly unsure of the phoenix.

"I value you for more than your abilities as a spy Severus." The old man said as rustled in his drawer and pulled out an old piece of parchment. "I had this drawn up a long time ago but I never thought that I would ever show it to you."

Snape took a step closer to see the documents. They were adoption papers! For him!

"You want to… to… adopt… me?" He asked dazed.

"Yes. I have viewed you as a son in many ways for a great many years."

"But I …"

"Severus," Dumbledore whispered embracing the younger man "I know that you didn't have the best father and I am will to make up for that as much as I can if you want me to."

For a moment Severus was blissfully happy but then he remembered all thew things that his own father had said about him and he wondered how a wizard as kind and as gentle as Dumbledore would ever want to share any part of himself with someone like Severus Snape.

Dumbledore could feel the moment that Severus started to pull away from him both figuratively and literally. Well he had just the thing to nip that in the bud right here and right now.

In a quick maneuver that belied his age Dumbledore was sitting in the chair that Severus had vacated during his rant. Then he pulled the large lanky wizard over his knee, added a wandless featherlight charm to the man and delivered several fierce swats to the thirty-two year old.

Snape blushed fiercely. This was easily the most humiliating thing that had ever happened to him in his whole life and that included all the humiliations from the Mauraders and those that were cause by the Dark Lord and he just knew that it couldn't possibly get any worse.

"Albus I was wondering- "Minerva McGonagall called out as she entered the office. Her sentence was cutoff when she saw her former student and current colleague laid over top of her boss and long-time friend in a manner that befitted a child.

"Hello Minerva," Albus said as though he were just leisurely sitting. "I'd offer you a Lemon Drop but as you can see I'm a bit occupied at the moment. What can I help you with my dear?"

"I'll... I'll just wait out there…" She said pointing and then she hastily fled the office.

With one final swat Dumbledore let Severus up and watched in amusement as his face grew redder and redder.

"You…" Snape squeaked unsure of what to say which did nothing but caused Albus to laugh harder and harder.

It took a while but after time the document was signed by Snape, and if it took more than an hour because Severus couldn't stop shaking long enough to sign his name then neither of the two men would mention it. Afterwards he was able to leave the office. Even when he did leave, he was still blushing madly unable to forget what had happened and the embarrassment but he was really happy. Of course he would have to wait until the Dark Lord was truly dead before they can make it officially official for many reasons but it was still nothing short of a miracle that Albus had adopted him.

Slowly, still smiling, he made his way to the Hospital wing to visit Harry. He would tell the boy everything tomorrow. But for now he would sit with the boy for a while, or perhaps stand as his bottom still stung just a bit because for an old man, Al- no his father had a lot of strength.

When he got to the room he went over to the bed where Harry was mere hours before. When it was empty of a certain twelve year old he grabbed up Silver and he went to ask Poppy if she had sent the boy off.

"Severus there you are Harry was waiting to see you." She said when he entered the office.

"Where is he then?" the wizard asked.

"He's in bed. I just checked on him a moment ago."

Suddenly Snape paled. "He wasn't there," He whispered to the Medi-Witch.

"What!" She shrieked checking for herself and then she ran to floo the Headmaster and inform him of the emergency.

**Whoa five thousand words. I know it took a while but it was tough to set all this up the next update will take a while because I just came up with what I want to do here so yeah. oh and i do have a plan for old Voldy that works without Sevy as a spy. also i do have a punishment in mind for Umbridge feel free to offer up suggestions though. **

**Sorry bout the cliffe. We all know where Harry is though, cause he is missing, as least you should. If you need a hint it's the second year and that's all I'm saying.**

**I want to thank all my reviewers I love you guys for that and they are very much appreciated. And I thank all the people for favoring and for following and I hope you all stick with me.**


	6. Forms and Family

Severus calm down," Dumbledore said to the man. He knew that Severus was worried for the one that he regarded as a son but it would help no one if he wasn't calm enough to think and help them find Harry.

Severus took a deep breath to steady himself and put back on the mask of calm. His father was right if he was going to help Harry then he needed to be calm. Not trusting himself to speak yet he gave Albus a brief nod to show that his panic attack was contained.

Before the Headmaster could say anything he was startled by a rush of wings.

Hedwig had sensed the panic in her boy just moments before the bond that they shared went dark. She knew though that he was also bonded with the odd little snake that the Dark Man, as she referred to Severus because of his unending wearing of dark clothing held.

Hedwig landed on Severus's shoulder and hooted urgently at the snake asking about her boy.

Silver recognized the owl and because of the bond that they shared with Harry they were able to traverse the language barriers and he could understand her.

"_I know where he is. I can take them there but I need your help."_

_"What can I do?" _

_"Carry me to the place and I can let them in so that they can rescue our boy."_

Hedwig hooted in agreement. Quickly but gently she snatched the snake from Severus's hand and hooted loudly advertising that she wanted the two wizards to follow her.

Albus and Severus exchanged quick glances before they followed.

Ten minutes later Hedwig landed in the least used bathroom in the castle and placed the stuffed snake on the sink.

Severus and Albus walked in and approached in time to hear the snake hiss at the taps. There was a loud rumble and all of a sudden the sink was moving and there was an entryway.

"The Chamber of Secrets," both men breathed in the same moment.

"He's down there?" Severus asked.

He received a hoot and a hiss in confirmation.

After Albus sent a Patronus to call for reinforcements, both he and Severus hopped down the chute knowing that they had no time to waste.

/

When Harry had woken up he was surprised to find that he was no longer in the

Hospital Wing. Moments later he realized that he had absolutely no idea where he was.

"Finally awake are we?"

Harry jerked realizing that he wasn't alone. The man who had spoken was standing a few feet away over a boiling cauldron. He was a mousy looking individual, short in stature and balding. He was probably in his late thirties but it seemed like he was way older than that.

Harry tried to move and that's when his foggy brain registered that he was held close in the coils of what was quite frankly the largest serpent that he had ever seen in his entire life.

Then the short wizard was walking over to him and he pulled out a knife and cut his forearm and boy did it hurt! Going back over to the cauldron the man dropped in the blood from the knife and then chopped off his own hand!

'He's absolutely mental' Harry thought very afraid now.

Then the man threw in a blob of something that looked like a skeleton wrapped in a blanket and suddenly there was an explosion and Harry found himself face to face with a man that was more of a snake than a human. Harry's scar began to burn with a fierceness causing him to feel pain that made one of Vernon's beatings seem like a slap on the wrist.

Harry screamed in pain and fear. He knew that standing before him now was Voldemort and that he was going to die.

/

Severus Albus were down the chute and walking cautiously. Then they heard it. The sound of Harry screaming. At that moment Severus shot off like a bullet from a gun. Something was dreadfully wrong he had never heard Harry scream like that before.

Dumbledore was right behind the man knowing that whatever was going on it was not good at all.

Whatever the two of them had imagined the seen that they came upon was not it. The two of them quickly took in the scene. Harry was trapped in the coils of a Basilisk. Voldemort was taunting him and Peter Pettigrew was there when he was supposed to be dead. All this was taken in, in mere seconds.

Then all hell broke loose. Severus and Albus charged at Voldemort. Pettigrew tried to escape only to find himself held by the Basilisk.

The Basilisk didn't want to serve the monster that had fooled her into thinking that he was the heir of Slytherin but she knew that he would easily kill her if she didn't do as he wished. When had been reborn just now she had thought that she was in for another era of servitude doing things that would haunt her forever. But when the two wizards came in she saw her chance and released the boy to grab the other man.

She was about to take a bite at him when she was stopped.

_"Stop"_ Harry shouted in Parseltongue. He did not know the man and yes he had brought about the return of Voldemort but the man didn't deserve to die.

On the other side of the Chamber Voldemort was losing ground against Severus and Albus. So he aimed an _Avada Kedavra_ over at Harry and while Severus and Albus threw up twin _Protego's _to protectHarry, Voldemort retreated through a secret exit that he had installed in his youth just in case a situation like this arose .

Breathing hard the older wizards ran over to where Harry and the Basilisk were and saw that the enormous serpent had held on to Pettigrew.

"Harry!" Severus exclaimed once he realized that his son was still next to the serpent and still in danger. Severus raised his wand.

"Stop!" Harry said. "Freya is safe to look at right now. She has a spell on her that allows her to make her gaze harmless if she wants it to be. She had only held me because old Moldy Shorts would have killed her if she hadn't."

Severus stood shocked for a moment. At first it was the sense of déjà vu of Harry protecting a snake that he was about to harm then it was from the amazement that Harry had made fun of the Dark Lord's chosen name.

Albus himself outright laughed at that.

Slowly Severus put away his wand. Then a sense of relief passed over him. "Harry!" he called once more but this time it was infused with happiness that his boy was alive.

"Papa," Harry cried in reply and then suddenly Severus had a hundred and some odd pounds of preteen wizard rammed into him.

Albus watched his two boys with twinkly eyes.

Seeing this as an opportunity Pettigrew tried to escape but was promptly hit with the body-binding curse.

"Ssshall I take you out of here?" Freya asked.

"You can speak English!?" Severus asked in amazement.

Freya laughed. "Not my favorite language but I do ssspeak."

All three wizards climbed onto her back behind her head, first Harry then Severus, and Albus. She rewrapped her tail around Peter's still form and if the ride was a bit bumpy for him than no one saw fit to mention it.

When Freya came out of the Chamber, McGonagall and Hagrid were at the top of the chute along with Madame Pomfrey. Silver and Hedwig were also waiting there hissing and hooting happily as they saw that their boy was alive and well.

All of the wizards hopped down and then Freya handed Peter up to them.

McGonagall gasped as she realized who it was and Hagrid looked ready to kill him.

All this Harry didn't notice because he was petting Freya and she was tickling him with her tongue making him laugh.

"What will you do now?" Harry asked.

"I'll go back down into the Chamber. Will you vissit me youngling?"

"May I Professor?" Harry asked.

"What happened to Papa?" Severus asked him.

Harry blushed and looked down in embarrassment. Then he gathered all the courage that he could, although he still felt vulnerable, and said, "May I … Papa."

"Yes." Severus said blushing a bit himself at the sound of his-soon-to-be-if-he-had-any-say-which-he-did son calling him by that name again.

With a parting tickle of her lounge Freya climbed back down into the Chamber and let the door close behind her.

/

After Harry was once again returned to the Hospital Wing and under Severus's watchful eye Albus went about correcting a mistake that had been made quite a few years ago. Sirius Black had been imprisoned in Azkaban under the suspicion that he had betray the Potters and that he had killed Peter Pettigrew. But that theory was shot the second that Albus found that Peter was alive and had basically revived Voldemort. Albus could tell that it was going to be a long night for him and a few others since they were responsible for the imprisonment of an innocent man in the worse prison possible.

Severus on the other hand had a more pressing matters than the fact that the mutt was innocent of the crime that had sent him to Azkaban. He knew that eventually that would be a problem because the mutt would no doubt try to take his son away from him and also there was the fact that he would have to be the one to tell Harry about Black. Then as soon as Black was out from prison there was no doubt that he would contact the werewolf and that would open another can of worms in time since the wolf was unofficial the other godfather for the boy.

But right now he could punish someone that had hurt his boy. Albus had basically given him permission to dole out the punishment of his choice upon Umbridge as long as he didn't kill her or leave evidence of certain types of… correction.

While sitting at Harry's bedside he mused on different things that he could do in order to correct her misconception that she could do anything that she wanted and just get away with it. She would learn that it was never wise to anger a former Death Eater and that it was even more foolish to anger Severus Snape.

/

The next day after Harry was released from the imprisonment of the Hospital Wing with a warning not to do anything strenuous he followed Severus down to the dungeons. Silver was around his neck and Hedwig was flying behind them. She wanted to keep her by in her sight after such a close call.

When they got to Severus's quarters the older wizard turned to face the boy.

"I was going to show you this yesterday I didn't get to."

Harry blinked up at him wondering what he was about to be shown. His Papa directed his attention to the door that was across from the one that led to his own room. Harry had never noticed that door before.

"Where does it lead?" Harry asked.

"Take a look." Was all that his Papa would say.

Harry opened the door and nearly passed out with shock. Inside was the most wonderful room that he had ever seen. There was a bed a bit larger than the one that he had in Gryffindor tower. There were three shelves for books and a desk on one wall underneath a magic window.

There were also toys and a new wizard's chess set. The room was painted in Gryffindor colors but a lot of the furniture was in Slytherin ones. Oddly enough they didn't clash at all. By the bed was his trunk and on top of that was his Nimbus 2000. There was a huge closet and there was also another door that was open far enough for him to tell that it was a bathroom.

Harry really wanted to say something. He tried really hard to speak but no words were coming out. This was absolutely the best gift that he had ever gotten in his entire life and he had no idea what to say.

Severus was watching Harry and so the shocked expression that was on the boy's face. He had half expected him to run around like he was on some kind of a sugar rush. What he didn't expect was for the boy to start crying.

It wasn't even gentle tears either. It was giant sobs that before long were impeding Harry's ability to breathe. For a moment the older man stood there startled. Then he bent down to Harry's level and tried to pry away the hands that were rubbing fiercely at the leaky eyes.

"What's wrong?" He asked gently.

"I…I'm h-happy," Harry stuttered out still crying or chocking depending on how you looked at it.

Severus was a bit scared. If the boy reacted like this to something that was a **need** then what would happen at Christmas when he got things that he **wanted.**

Eventually Harry was able to stop crying and Severus left him to explore the room while he called the house elves to start an early lunch.

After lunch Harry went up to the Gryffindor common room so that he could talk to Ron and Hermione.

When the little devil had scampered off Severus himself went to take care of a certain Professor.

/

The next morning at breakfast in the Great Hall all the students were surprised to see that Umbridge wasn't there. It was a sign of how much Umbridge was disliked that the Professors didn't stop the cheering at all when Dumbledore made the announcement that due to special circumstances the DADA Professor was on indefinite hiatus.

_Meanwhile somewhere in the Antarctic _

Delores Umbridge was mad and cold and lost. She was in her undergarments with nary a robe to keep in heat. She didn't have a wand and that vile Snape had cast spells on her that made her untraceable and mute. Added to that he added a heating charm that would only kick in when she was in danger of freezing to death. Along with that he had done a spell that allowed her to eat her least favorite food when hungry and get hot water when she was thirsty.

When-if- she got back to civilization she was going to kill him.

/

About a month after Umbridge's impromptu departure Severus received word that Black had been out for two weeks and he had recovered enough and wanted to meet his godson.

Severus really didn't want Harry to meet his godfather because he had grown to lo- like the boy very much and he knew that once Harry met the mutt the boy would realize that he didn't need Severus anymore and once again Severus Snape would be abandoned.

Shaking it off he called Harry down after his last class.

When Harry got to their shared rooms which he privately called 'home' he took one look at his Papa and saw that whatever was about to be talked about was very serious.

"What's wrong Papa?" Harry asked.

Snape was no longer startled by the name that Harry used for him. It was natural somehow. Harry had even told him why he decided on Papa. Dad was reserved for James and Daddy was a bit childish. Father was too formal. So that left Papa and that was what had stuck.

"I have to tell you something very important," Severus said attempting to adopt the mask of impassiveness but not having much luck. "Do you remember last week when I told you that I knew your mother?"

Harry nodded that had been a great conversation.

"Well when I was in school I did something really bad. I called Lily a… a mudblood. It's the worse insult that you can call one of Muggle parentage," Severus whispered. "That led to us falling out and then she started dating your father. I used to hate James for the way he treated me back then. He was an arrogant bully. But I can't fully hate him anymore because, as much as I loathe to admit it, he became a good man and he is halfway responsible for you being here."

"Anyway I was angry and lonely and that was how Lucius Malfoy found me. He convinced me to join Voldemort. I was so stupid!" Severus spat in self-disgust putting his head in his hands.

"Eventually I overheard part of a prophecy, I swear I thought it was total rubbish! But then the Dark Lord went after your parents. I turned to Dumbledore and became a spy in an effort to save her. But they were betrayed. At the time everyone thought that it by was your Godfather, Sirius Black. But then down in the Chamber the very man that supposedly died that night aided the Dark Lord in his return. Sirius got out of… prison a little while ago and he wants to meet you now."

Severus didn't dare look at Harry lest he see the hatred in those expressive green eyes. He was still on edge from his confession so it was no surprise to him that he began to cry, silently, since yes he still had a modicum of dignity, when a timid hand began to pat his hair in a motion that was soothing and comforting. Harry wouldn't comfort him if he hated him would he?

"It's okay Papa. Don't cry," The boy pleaded softly.

That of course had the reverse effect of making Severus's tears rain harder because not only was Harry still willing to call him Papa- and thank Merlin for that! - The boy had said that it was okay and it wasn't. But it would never be, at least not for him. He would always be guilty and there was nothing that could be done about it.

Harry stopped his petting of Severus's, not at all greasy, mane of hair and tried to figure out how he was going to get him to see that, yes, he did do a bad thing but he didn't know that nor did he know the consequences of it until it was to late and he even tried to make up for it in the only way that he could do so and if that didn't make him a good person Harry didn't know what would.

The only person that Harry had ever seen hip Papa listen to was Dumbledore. With that he went over to the fireplace and flooed Dumbledore's office.

"What can I do for you Harry?" Albus asked surprised that his almost Grandson had floo called his office.

"If you're not too busy would you mind coming down to the Dungeons for a bit."

"I'll be right down." Albus said. After putting the document he had been reading down Albus flooed down to Severus's rooms. He found Harry at the table by Severus. Severus was silently crying and Albus could only tell that because he could see the man's shoulders were shaking slightly.

"What happened?" The Headmaster asked.

"Papa told me about what happened when he was still loyal to old Bald with Warts and he think it was his fault and he wont let me convince him otherwise so I was hoping that you'd have more luck.

"Severus, my boy, look at me." Albus said gently.

"Father," Severus whispered shakily lifting his head only a bit.

"Calm down my son. The only one here that feels that you were solely responsible for what happened that night is yourself."

"But-" The potions master tried to protest.

Only to be cut off by both of the others in the room.

A little while later Severus was in bed. The man had slept badly the previous night since he had been busy visualizing the worse case scenarios added to that was the extra strain that was incurred with the confession and it was easy to see why the man was asleep so fast.

"So you adopted him?" Harry asked as he walked the Headmaster back to the fireplace.

Dumbledore looked at the boy. Neither Severus nor he had said anything about that but the boy was sharp and easily read that in their actions.

"Yes but for now it's only between us okay."

Harry nodded happily. "Yes Grandpa," he said quietly as Albus stepped through the flames.

Meanwhile, Severus was having a very interesting dream. He and his father along with his son were on a picnic. Harry was energetically running about and it was making both of the older wizards tired just watching.

Then all of a sudden Severus looked behind him and there stood Lily and James Potter gazing lovingly at their son. When they saw that Snape had seen them both of them smiled at him and Lily mouthed 'thank you Sev' then the two of them faded away.

Severus awoke to find himself in bed and for a moment he wondered how he had gotten there. Then the conversation that he had, had with Harry came back to him and then the fact that Dumbledore himself had come down to calm him came back as well.

Then he noticed that Harry was next to him on the bed curled up like a puppy. With a glance at the clock he decided to go back to sleep knowing that the house elves would wake them in time for dinner.

/

Eventually the weekend came around once more and it was finally time for Harry to meet the mutt. Severus was a bit nervous, not that he would show it of course, but he was. Not only was he concerned that Black would want to take Harry away there was also the fact that the events from his childhood still haunted him to this day and Black had played a key role in the torment that he had received as a young child.

Lupin was sure to be there to and since the full moon was a week away Severus wasn't to worried about letting him be around Harry. He had met the wolf on occasion since he sometimes had to personally deliver the wolfsbane potion to him.

They chose to meet on the castle grounds since it wasn't really safe for Severus or Harry to be outside of the school's protection.

After Severus and Harry ate breakfast and washed up it was time to go. Severus had decided that it would be safest to meet them over near Hagrid's cottage. Hagrid was away on business so it was empty and not many students passed that way in any case.

When Harry and Severus arrived Harry saw that there were two men were sitting on the front steps of the cottage. One was a blond man. A bit ragged looking dressed in faded robes but with kind eyes.

The other man was darker-haired. A bit more handsome than the first but still a bit ragged. He had on new robes and his eyes were dark and a bit wild.

Harry knew that he should be a bit wary of these strangers but for some reason he wasn't. it felt like he knew them and knew that he could trust them. He realized with a start that if they had been his fathers friend as Severus had explained in more detail that morning then he might very well have known.

Severus stopped a few steps away from the two men. He greeted them with all the kindness that he could muster. Neither of the other men reacted to Severus's prickliness mainly because they were staring at the youngest male amongst them.

Lupin cleared his throat. "Hello Harry, I'm Remus Lupin. You can call me Remus if you like." Lupin offered putting out a hand.

Harry looked up and smiled at ease now that he wasn't being stared at and accepted the hand.

Sirius came up next to Remus. "Hey Pup I know you probably don't remember me but I'm Sirius." Sirius shift a bit obviously debating something. "Will you let me hug you Pup?" He finally asked.

Harry was a bit shocked at the request but he supposed that he would want to hug his godson if he had spent years in jail too. Internal debate over he nodded. Sirius wasted no time in hugging his pup.

Severus turned away. He didn't want to interrupt the moment but in his eyes Harry was one step closer to leaving him and that hurt. Lupin was the only one to note Severus's reaction.

"Paddy let him breathe," Remus said after a moment.

"Shut it Moony, your just mad you didn't ask first." All the same Sirius released Harry.

After Lupin wrapped Harry in a hug Sirius went over to Severus. "Hey…um… Snape. I… uh… wanted to say thanks. Dumbledore told me what you did for Harry and well thanks. I also wanted to say that I'm sorry. I had a lot of time in that cell and one of the things I thought a lot about was you and how I treated you back then… so yeah I'm sorry.

Severus looked at his old tormentor with startled eyes. An apology from him was something that he had never expected. Honestly he didn't know how he felt about it but nevertheless he said, "Accepted mutt."

"Hey I'll have you know that I am purebred thank you very much."

"Children, please do not argue, " Harry said in a said in a stern voice that sounded oddly Dumbledorish in tone.

Both Sirius's and Severus's eyes went to Harry in shock and the preteen burst out in laughter their expressions were priceless!

After Harry calmed down he turned to Sirius and asked, "Why did Papa call you a mutt?"

Nobody missed the proud look on Severus's face when Harry called him that. Sirius choked for a second and Lupin whacked him on the back a few times. Under control again Sirius looked at his Godson with a mischievous expression and said "Because," and then to Harry's amazement where Sirius had stood there was now a very large black furred dog.

"Do you do tricks?" Harry asked jokingly.

Dog-Sirius barked.

"Walk on two paws," Harry said.

Dog-Sirius knew that he meant back paws but where was the fun in that. Quickly the animagus got onto his front paws and walked.

"Backflip?"

Dog-Sirius rolled his eyes. That was a walk in the park. He did a tripled backflip instead.

"Play dead," Severus suggested.

Dog-Sirius glared and laid on his back. Placed all four paws in the air and went stiff as a board. Then changed back into his human form.

"Papa do you have a animagus form?"

"Yes," Severus said choosing not to elaborate.

"Will you show me?"

"No."

"Pretty please?" Harry asked looking up at his Papa with puppy dog eyes.

Severus tried to say no again but in the end the look was just to much for him. Merlin forbid the boy ever used that look for something big. "Alright but if any of you ever tell anybody…" he let the sentence trail off. Moments later there was a bat where he had stood. Then he turned back.

Harry turned to Lupin. "Do you have a form too?"

"I really don't know. See I'm a werewolf."

"I know Papa told me plus I read about them in a book. Does that mean you can't be an animagus though?"

"You should try." Harry advised.

Remus thought about it for a movement and figured that no harm could come from it. After all he was there for most of the lessons when his friends were learning how to do it.

A few minutes later there was a gray wolf with a stripe of black down his muzzle.

"See I told you so," Harry smiled.

"How did you...?" Remus asked after he was back human.

"I could sense it. Now all of you can get to your second forms."

"What!" The three of them said in unison.

"Here let me show you. I have my two already."

A second later Harry was a light-green dragon. Then Harry changed back and turned into a phoenix.

After that demonstration he said "So whose first?"

Sirius approached and Harry grabbed his hand. Then Sirius felt a string of magic pulling his and then he transformed. Sirius's second form was a large dog with three tails and a set of jet black wings.

After Sirius Remus approached. Remus's second form was a Pegasus. He had black wings with white tips and his body was a steel gray.

Last was Severus. His second turned out to be a basilisk. But he quickly transformed back not wanting anyone to get hurt. He would have to ask Freya about that spell she had on her.

When all of them had recovered from the euphoria of the second forms they all looked at Harry in shock.

"My magic was pulling me to do it," He said in explanation. Suddenly he felt outrageously tired and he closed his eyes just for a second.

When Harry began to fall all three reached out to him. After a quick diagnostic that revealed only exhaustion to their relief Severus convinced the other two to let him carry Harry since he knew the quickest way to his quarters.

Less than ten minutes later the party arrived in Severus's and Harry's quarters and Severus carried the still to light boy into the child's bedroom. After taking off Harry's shoes Severus placed the boy under the sheets and plucked Silver up from the dresser and laid him with the boy before leaving the room.

Only to realize that Black and Lupin had seen all of that.

"You really love him don't you?" Black said

Severus couldn't deny it so he nodded.

In that moment all three of them felt that something that had been hanging over them since their school days had faded somewhat and maybe, just maybe, they could learn to get along.

The next morning the three older wizards woke up to the sound of breakfast cooking. After the chat Remus and Sirius stayed over since they were still worried about the pre-teen in the next room. Sirius and Remus had slept on the floor in Harry's room. They had changed into dog and wolf for comfort. Severus had spent the noght in that room as well in his bat form so it kind of ended up as an impropmtu sleepover of sorts.

After they ate Harry asked if they could go visit Freya. Severus said yes and they marched right along to the girl's bathroom.

"Hello Harry," Myrtle said.

"Hi there Myrtle." Harry had grown used to the ghost since she was there everytime he went down to visit Freya.

"Who is Freya?" Sirius finally asked.

"You'll see," Harry said.

Severus wondered what the boy was waiting for and then he saw Harry nod toward the tap. Then he remembered his second form was a huge snake so he should be able to speak now. Concentating on the snake on the tap he pulled a thin string of magic and suddenly the entrance opened.

One by one they jumped down and landed on the floor. The bones were cleaned up and a nice plush carpet took their place. Also around the place were lumos balls that were motion sensitive and gave off a dim glow.

Soon movement could be heard and Harry ran forward. _"Freya"_ he shouted happily. As usual when around the basilisk the boy had unconcioussly slipped into Paseltongue.

"Moony you're seeing what I'm seeing yeah?"

"If you see a basilisk Paddy then yes I am."

"Don't worry little Gryffindors she's perfectly safe." The Slytherin in the room said.

Freya laughed and moved closer. She tasted the newcomers scents on her tongue so that she would know them. If they were improtant to her younglings they were valued by her.

"Freya do you know the spell that is on your eyes?" Severus asked.

"Yess." Freya said. Laughing at the startled looks that she was getting from the other two men.

"I need to know it." Severus said and at her questioning look he transformed into his newfound form.

The wizards watched as Freya looked Severus over. "You are very handssome youngling." Freya said.

Sirius started humming the wedding march causing Harry and Remus to laugh so hard that they fell to their knees.

Severus turned back to his human self so he could glare at the idiot Gryffindors that were now rolling around the chamber. People had often thought that his looks could kill but he didn't want to kill them, hex them yes, kill them no.

Harry was the first to gather himself from the floor and so it was he that preformed the spell. Severus's eyes felt clouded for a moment but then he was seeing clearly again. His vision was a bit worse than it had been but if it made his gaze safe then he would deal with it after all it wasn't that bad.

Eventually they left the Chamber so that they could go and get lunch. They decided that they would eat in Severus's rooms again.

"So where are you staying?" Severus asked Sirius while they ate.

"Grimmuld Place and Moony sticks around to keep me company."

"Will you come back soon?" Harry asked since they were leaving after lunch.

"Actually yes," Sirius said. "Dumbledore offered to allow us to co-teach DADA since apparently the last professor um deserted her post as it were."

"Oh you mean Umbridge? Yeah everyone is glad that she's gone 'cause she didn't teach us anything but how boring a bad professor can make DADA. Oh and she used a Blood Quill on me but luckly that was taken care of before she could use it on anyone else."

Remus and Sirius both stopped eating and identical dark looks came over them. They both had the same thought running through their minds. 'How dare that bloody _witch_ use a blood quill on my Pup.' Oh how they wished they knew where she was so that they could rip her to shreds.

Suddenly they caught sight of Severus looking at them.

Severus knew exactly what they were thinking and as soon as he made eye contact with them he gave them the image of Umbrige walking around icy terrain in her knickers. They looked at him for comformation and when he nodded the dark look dissipated in exchange for choking laughter.

Harry looked from one man to the other with a question in his eyes.

"I'll tell you when you're older," All three of them said at the same time. Sirius and Remus laughed again and Severus settled for a genuine smile.

Harry rolled his eyes. After all he had been through he should be considered _older_ already. But then again it was nice to see the three getting along. He had been a bit worried since yesterday Severus seemed so ill at ease about meeting up with them. Then a warm feeling settled in Harry chest because he realized that he truly had a family. Sure the Weasly's cared for him 'cause they sent him presents after all but this was a family alll his own. It was uncoventional but all the same it was a family.

**A/N well that is the end of the chapter. This note actually brings the word count to 6000 words. No cliffie this time but I will be brining in Draco and his family soon and next chapter should be taking care of old Voldy in a way I think will be unique, at least I have read a story that has done what I have in mind. Any suggestions for the story? If so leave them in a review. Oh and thanks again to all the reviewers and the followers. I hope you like it. At this juncture I will ask do you guys want faster updates with less words or updates like my previous ones with high word counts?**

ument here...


	7. A Family Christmas

**Warning- there is an instance of super super OOC Sev ahead (you'll know it when you read it) and if you don't find it OOC for the Severus i have written until now please leave that in a comment for me. just know either way it was so much fun to write.**

**Without further ado i present chapter seven.**

It was a week before Christmas when finally, the students left to go home or to another relative's house for the holidays. For the first time in years all, the students had left the castle. Hermione was going to Egypt with her folks and Ron and his family was going to Romania. Harry of course was staying at Hogwarts though this year it was because that was where his Papa was spending the winter hols himself.

However, the novelty of having a parent at Christmas wasn't the only thing that had Harry excited. Dumbledore, McGonagall, Remus, and Sirius were spending the winter holidays at the castle too and although they didn't quite come out and say it in as many words, he knew that they were staying because he and his Papa were.

Severus for his part would never admit, even under torture, that he was as excited as Harry was about Christmas this year. The winter holidays had never been a source of great enjoyment for the man even when he was younger. However, this year he had a son and a father not to mention that his old enemies turned colleagues were, if not his friends, at least pleasant acquaintances.

On the night before Christmas though, Harry hit a bit of a rough patch.

Severus was still awake, since Harry had decided that he wanted to bed early after they had returned from visiting Freya, so he got up from the couch the instant that he heard the muffled screams coming from Harry's bedroom. Without any hesitation whatsoever he ran to the boy's room so that he could wake him up.

Like the first time Harry woke the instant that his hand came in contact with him. Unlike last time, though Harry woke up and began to sob. Severus did the only thing that he could. He pulled **his** boy from the bed and hugged him as he murmured reassurances softly to child. He didn't know what he had dreamt of but whatever it was had to be bad to have made Harry act like this and Severus had a strong suspicion that the dream had something to do with either Voldemort or the boy's miserable excuse for relatives.

"It's okay. I'm here," Severus said softly to Harry. The irony that his presence should be comforting to any child let alone Harry Potter did not escape him.

"You gone and den Volly was dere and uncle and and," Harry sobbed into Severus's chest. The nightmare was so vivid and scary. But Harry knew first hand that Severus could be very scary and he wondered if Severus was scary enough to scare away a nightmare.

"Can you repeat that in English?" Severus asked pleased that the child was even willing to share the details of the nightmare in the first place.

Harry took a deep breath and pulled his head away from Severus's chest. "Was speaking in English." He murmured.

Severus rolled his eyes. "I meant that you should speak understandably."

In a slightly better mood now, Harry decided to play a bit. After all, his Papa just said that he wanted him to speak understandably but he didn't say that it had to be in English. Therefore, Harry used Parseltongue instead. At least he was going to but Severus anticipated this.

"English, you little brat."

"I dreamt that somebody took me away from you and I was sent back to my uncle. He was beating me and then Voldy came out of nowhere and suddenly my uncle was able to become a Death Eater and somehow he was able to do magic and both he and Voldy started using _crucio_ on me at the same time. Then they were laughing at me and saying that nobody could ever love me and that I was better off dead and that if I was never born my Mum and my Dad would still be alive because it's my fault that they are dead in the first place." Harry said and then he thrust his face back into Severus's chest crying again now that the images were fresher from the retelling of the nightmare.

Severus didn't know what to say to comfort the boy. Surely saying that he wished to torture Vernon Dursley in ways that would make Voldemort himself afraid, that was assuming that the monster had enough human in him, of course, to feel fear, would be the wrong thing to say. The boy knew that he wanted Voldemort re-killed as well so that probably wasn't the proper thing to use as reassurance either.

"I had an awful nightmare a few nights ago myself so I know how bad they can be."

Harry pulled away from him just a little bit so that he could look at him again. "What was yours about Papa?" he asked.

Severus pulled the boy close again more for his own comfort than for Harry's. Then he rested his chin on the mess of hair covering Harry's head. "You were stolen from me by other wizards because they felt that I couldn't be a proper guardian for you and then I was fed to the Dark Lord's snake after several rounds of being _crucio'd_." Severus whispered a bit shocked that he was confiding this to the boy.

Harry said nothing but snuggled deeper into Severus's hold. After a while, the man figured that the child had fallen back asleep. At least he had thought so until Harry quietly said, "Stay."

Severus, being the softy that he had become, could hardly refuse that and lay with the young Gryffindor. Ten minutes later they were both asleep and neither of them had a nightmare.

/

When Severus woke up, he found that Harry was still asleep unlike the last time that they had spent a night in this way. Knowing that this would most likely be a rare thing, since the boy usually woke before he did, which was a bit alarming because he usually woke at six, and the fact that the boy hardly reached out for comfort except in times of extreme distress, he took the opportunity to study his sleeping son up close.

His child looked even younger in sleep and that was saying something because even when Harry was doing schoolwork he barely managed to look like he was in fact twelve and a half. Nevertheless, Severus found that watching his boy sleeping and knowing that Harry was totally at ease being next to a man that used to be a human embodiment of rage and hatred in his eyes was the most satisfying feeling that he had ever had in his lifetime.

When Harry finally woke up, he saw that his Papa was looking at him. He rubbed his eyes and then he remembered what day it was. "Happy Christmas," he said excitedly.

"Happy Christmas brat," Severus replied lips pulled up into his signature smirk.

"Git," Harry countered before he had a chance to think about it.

Severus had a full-blown smile now. So the boy did have some fight in him did he? "Moronic dunderhead."

"Sarcastic jerk,"

"Gutless Gryffindor,"

"Stupid snake,"

"You little twat,

"Sugary sweet softy snaky Snape," Harry said in a voice that was drenched in so much sweetness that it practically gave Snape a cavity.

"That's it! You're going to pay for that Potter."

"In your dreams Snape." Harry replied hopping out of the bed and running away. Severus was startled for a second but almost immediately got up to chase the boy. Later he would, of course, blame such childishness on not being in his right mind since it was so early in the morning.

"That's 'Professor Snape' to you." The man growled.

"Not my Professor right now." Harry retorted not slowing down one bit.

Soon Harry was outside of their shared quarters still running. Chancing a glace back, he saw that Snape was right behind him and he tried to coax more speed from his legs. He only managed to postpone his inevitable capture though because a few minutes later he was panting and laughing on the stone floor of the castle as an also laughing Severus Snape was tickling him into submission.

Seeing the usually stoic, Severus Snape laughing so hard that his, normally pale, skin held a very warm blush, made Harry laugh even harder than he already was. This in turn caused Severus to laugh even harder as well.

"What is going on here?" an amused voice asked from above the two of them.

Harry and Severus looked at each other. Both of them were clad only in pajamas (Harry's had animated Hippogriffs on them and Severus was in a set that were white with green exploding cauldrons on them yet another gift from Dumbledore) and they were both barefooted. Then before either of them could say anything at all, they both burst out laughing again.

Less than two minutes later, the remaining Hogwarts Professors were watching them. Minerva looked somewhat shocked. Albus still looked all smiley and twinkly-eyed, Remus and Sirius looked torn between amusement and confusion at the sight.

Harry and Severus were still laughing. It had gotten so bad that there were tears raining down in rivers from their eyes but they just couldn't stop even with the audience and every time that they were almost able to calm down they made the mistake of glancing over at one another and that set them off once again.

A minute and more than a few deep breaths later, they could finally talk again.

"He started an argument," Harry said as though that would explain everything that had happened.

"_He_ assaulted me with a very insulting and quite embarrassing alliteration." Severus tried to defend himself.

"Then he decided that it would be acceptable to get revenge by chasing me _all over_ the castle _barefooted_ so that he could pin me down and tickle me to death." He looked at the other adults with his green eyes as wide and innocent as a doe are all the while weaving the tale to make Severus seem like the bad guy.

'The boy _would_ have made a good Slytherin' Severus thought. However, he was not the head of Slytherin House for nothing.

With a small shake of his head, his hair fell and covered his face. Slowly he opened his eyes and looked at the others through his hair. This made him appear both meek and innocent. It was a struggle not to laugh at the look that the others gave him.

I didn't mean for it to end up this way." He said softly wrapping himself in a loose hug and shivering a bit at first it was for effect but then he realized that he actually was quite cold. Then he looked upwards and that made his hair fall away from his face allowing him to be able to gaze at his colleagues with almost pleading eyes. It also helped that his face was still a bit wet from when he had be crying from laughing too hard since it gave him the appearance of honesty, repentance, and a slight bit of fearfulness.

"You can pull that off!" Sirius said shocked that a man as creepy and odd-looking as Severus Snape was, could pull off such a convincing 'it's not really my fault' act. He just hadn't thought that it was possible and he would not believe it if he hadn't seen it for himself. Seriously, the only thing that was missing was a pink background with bubbles floating about. It also didn't help matters that Harry had done such a convincing act too and had held his doe-like expression all the way through Severus's act.

All in all it made all of them want to squeal like excited fan girls because it was impossibly cute and the act just made you want to cuddle them both and hug them as hard as you possibly could to infuse them with love.

Albus sighed.

"Headmaster?" Severus asked in his soft 'comfort me, comfort me' tone of voice.

"I'm just thinking about all the things that you will weasel yourself out of via that expression."

Severus smiled a genuine smile at his father and then pulled himself to his feet, brushed the dirt on his clothes off with his hands, and then he walked over to Harry. "Let's go home so that we can get ready for the Christmas Feast alright."

Harry nodded and stood up wincing a bit, as his whole foot touched the cold stone of the floor. Severus sighed and plucked the boy up into his arms. "I'll see you all in a bit," he said to the other Professors and then he preceded walk down to his room. Once there Harry practically leapt from his arms.

"What's wrong?" he asked a bit saddened by Harry's action.

"Nothing, it's just that I gotta go to the bathroom really bad cause I didn't go when I woke up and then I forgot after that."

After Harry said that Severus realized that he had to go to and he wondered how he had failed to notice it before and it was all he could do to keep from embarrassing himself once he did notice that he had to.

Choosing lesser of two embarrassments Severus rushed off to his own bathroom. Half an hour later Severus had washed and wrapped himself in a Slytherin, green towel then he pulled out what he was going to wear to the feast.

He had just pulled on his pants when there was a knock on his door.

"Come in,"

At that, Harry came in. He was wearing a pair of dark blue Muggle jeans and a brown button down shirt with two vertical lines of white embroidered design on it. His hair was less messy than usual since it was still slightly damp and he only had socks on his feet.

"I just wanted to see if you were ready yet because I just got word that the feast is ready. So what you were going to wear to the…" Harry trailed off as he saw the black teaching robes that Severus had laid out for himself. Harry shook his head and pulled out his wand to _accio'd_ some blocks, put them into the shape of a tombstone, and affixed a piece of parchment to it.

Severus glanced over to read the paper. _Here lies the fashion sense of Severus Snape. Dead before it had a chance to live. May it rest in peace._

While Severus was distracted, Harry wandered over to the man's still open closet to see what he had in there. He was not surprised at all to see all the black clothing. Luckily, he had planned for this. Sure, he wasn't that much of a fashion follower but even he knew that black attire all the time wasn't going to do it. He had also suspected that Severus had nothing else in his closet besides black clothing except where pajamas were concerned and that was only because Dumbledore had bought them. Someday Harry would ask why Severus wore them when he knew the man had black ones. So Harry had asked Dumbledore to help him out and the old wizard had come through for him without his Papa being aware of the conspiracy. All that was left was to get his Papa to do what he wanted and he knew just how to do that.

/

"Come on Papa it's not that bad and you know it."

"No way you devious little brat."

Everyone that was in the Great Hall for the Christmas feast looked at one another a little amused and slightly alarmed as they heard Harry's and Severus's voices outside the door.

"Don't make me go and get Sirius."

"What would that mangy mutt do?" Severus scoffed.

"He is not a mutt and he would drag you inside and you know he could do it."

"You wouldn't dare sic him on me."

"How sure are you about that?"

"Sirius!" Harry called loudly.

"Stop!"

"Okay then walk inside o' great king of the serpents."

There was a loud huff and then Severus walked into the Hall. He had on midnight blue jeans. A button up white shirt with golden threads weaved in an intricate pattern around the collar. His shoulder-length hair had been combed and pulled back into a ponytail with a midnight blue tie and he had on a pair of black shoes.

Personally, the other thought that it was quite a good look for him but they all thought it wise not to say anything about his current state of dress less they aggravate him even more than he already was at present.

Harry and Severus walked toward the small table to the seats that had been set up for them. McGonagall was sitting next to Dumbledore. On Dumbledore's other side was Sirius. On the other side of the table, two seats were empty and Remus sat across from Sirius in the third seat on that side.

Once Severus and Harry had reached their seats, Harry took the middle one leaving Severus the seat that was across the table from Minerva, the food was already out. "Sorry we were late," Harry said helping himself to a small portion on turkey and mashed potatoes, which was promptly doubled in size by Severus the moment he turned his head, "_Someone _was taking forever to get dressed."

"I was not," Severus muttered to his plate. It was Harry's fault for forcing him into this ridiculous outfit. If he had just been able to wear his teaching robes like he was going to this never would have taken so long. However, the brat had threatened to tell about how he had almost had an accident earlier. Severus had countered by saying that Harry had almost had one too. But the boy had been one step ahead of him and replied that it would be worse for him because he was a fully capable adult whereas he was a young child that had been through so many traumatic ordeals in his short life that it would be the least of his worries if he actually did have an accident. That was the end of that and Severus had put on the outfit that the boy had laid out for him.

But Severus would get his revenge on the boy somehow and he didn't care how petty that sentiment made him. In his mind, he was justified. Maybe he could transfigure all of the boy's pants into nappies since the boy was always going on about how he was no longer a little kid. Alternatively, he could make the boy's hair turn multiple colors. 'No the boy would probably like that' he thought.

His evil musings- yes evil- was stopped when he realized that someone was trying to take to him. Yet another thing that Severus could blame on the boy. He had never spaced out in public before Harry had wormed his way into his heart. Even if he had, he never would have spaced out to plot such childish schemes.

"Severus, are you okay?" McGonagall asked. "You seem to be quite distracted."

"I'm fine." Severus said quietly so that he didn't attract the attention of the others at the table.

"Are you sure?" She asked. "You were smiling, quite creepily, during your little space out."

"Was I," He stated hoping that she would let the matter drop since it didn't seem like a good idea to tell her that he was trying to think of a way to get back at a twelve year old that just happened to be one of her favorite little lions.

A few minutes later they were on desert when Severus heard Sirius say, "So Pup, are you ready to go get started on opening your presents?"

"I get presents!?" Harry asked with surprise. He knew that he might get something from the Weasley's since Ron was his friend after all and by later today Hermione would owl over her gift since he had sent Hedwig to her with hers a few days ago but from the rest of them he hadn't expected to receive anything.

"Of course you do. I have it on good authority that even our resident Potions Master got you something."

"Really!?" Harry exclaimed turning his head in Severus's direction.

"Of course you little idiot. Why wouldn't I get you something?" Severus sneered.

Predictably, Harry threw himself into Severus's arms at that gazing at the man with so much happiness that Severus began to feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Severus had, had more happiness in the last four months than he had ever had in the rest of his life combined. Surely so much happiness in such a small amount of time had to be a crime or at the very least an illness of some sort. His heart was beating so rapidly that it felt as though it might take a running leap and launch itself right out of his chest as though shot from a cannon.

As if that betrayal of his body were not enough, he also felt his eyes starting to get a bit moist. That was something that he couldn't believe he had never before cried tears of joy and he would let that start now. He gently pushed the boy off him and stood.

"I tire of this pointless meal," He said failing to achieve his usual snarl, "You all can join me in the dungeons when you are done here." With that, he quickly walked out of the room and went to his rooms so that he could pull himself together before they all came down.

For the sake of convenience, they had decided that they would have the 'party' down in Severus's rooms because Harry could be more easily carried off to bed because he knew the boy would stay up for as long as he could and end up falling asleep wherever he was.

Less than twenty minutes later, the whole group was gathered about the Christmas tree that he and Harry had put up. Of course, Severus had hidden the presents with a canceling charm that he had removed when he had come back from the Hall.

Harry looked at the tree in amazement. Most of the presents underneath it were his. He had at least twice as many gifts as everyone else.

"Aren't you going to start Pup?" Sirius asked.

"Wait!" Harry suddenly exclaimed and then he ran into his room only to emerge a few minutes later with three gifts. The adults were startled because the boy had not been allowed out of the castle since Voldemort's return and he had not had any of them act as a proxy for his gift shopping. That explained why the presents were wrapped in colored parchment that was held together with a simple sticking charm.

"I'm ready now," Harry said a little nervously since his present were so sloppily wrapped in comparison to the ones that they had gotten him. In addition, he was a little worried about if they would like their presents since he had such a limited practice of gift giving.

Harry opened the first gift because they wouldn't let it be otherwise. It was from his Head of House and it was a Muggle video player that was enhanced with magic along with a few videos.

He ended up having to open quite a few gifts before anyone else would touch any of theirs but eventually he was feed up with it and he crossed his arms and said that he wasn't opening anything else until someone opened something.

After that, presents were opened left and right until the only ones left were a present from Severus to Harry and Harry's gifts to all of them. They decided that they would open Harry's presents before he opened his last one.

Severus went first. He disabled the sticking charm on the paper and he saw that there were two books there. They were very old but well taken care of. He opened one and he saw that it was an old and very rare potions text. Flipping through a few pages, he saw the boy had written a few notes in the book.

"How long have you had these?" He asked astounded. He had never thought that he would see these books outside of a private collection.

"Over the summer I snuck out when they were gone and I found those and bought them for myself. Oddly enough, they were in a half-priced bookstore priced at a couple of pounds each. I think it was because they didn't know what they were."

Severus could say nothing to that because he was too engrossed in the text already. He reluctantly stopped though when a pillow from the couch hit him in the head.

Next was McGonagall. She pulled off the paper and found a large blue cube with a small door that wouldn't open.

Harry laughed at her confusion, went up to her, and whispered something. A few minutes later, the stern Gryffindor was a tabby cat. The door opened and for more than a few minutes she was inside. When she came back out and transformed she was in shock.

"It's amazing," she said to them. "It's bigger on the inside and it is like a feline place inside." She turned to Harry. "How did you make this?" She knew that he had made it because she could sense his magical signature on it.

"I read a few books to get the spells right. It took a while though."

"How long is a while?" Severus asked shocked at the level of control that he had over his magic.

Harry shrugged. "I started on it about a year ago when I found out that the Professor was an animagus I didn't know if I could do it though because it seemed really hard that was why I didn't tell anyone about it because I never thought that I would finish with it. But I did a few days ago and it seemed like the perfect gift.

Before anyone could respond to that they heard the portrait open.

Suddenly Draco came racing into the living quarters. His hair and pajamas were in complete disarray.

"Uncle Sev you have to come quickly it's my Mum and Dad they need you," Draco said. The tone of voice was very urgent but he was so out of breath that he could not get enough air to make his voice loud.

"What happened?" Severus asked.

"They had a meeting …something went very wrong. They won't tell me what …but they told me to get you. They're in the common room now."

"Harry will you look after Draco for me?"

Harry nodded knowing that his Papa wouldn't ask unless he had to. It was no secret that Harry did not like Draco. The boy was a prat and he acted like one. Papa had asked it of him so he would help the Malfoy offspring. In addition, Draco had been through quite an ordeal tonight and as much as he wanted to deny it, he could not help but feel sympathy towards the boy that was sitting almost cationic in the place that he had been standing a few minutes ago.

When all the adults had poured through the portrait hole racing towards the Slytherin common room Harry walked over to the blond-haired boy.

"Can you stand?" he asked.

Draco nodded and stood up wobbling a bit.

Harry offered a hand to steady the older male and to his surprise, Draco took it. Harry led him to his bathroom and started a bath for the other boy. Draco probably had taken one earlier like he had, but he had gotten a bit dirty somehow and the warm water might sooth his shattered nerves in any case.

Once the bath was ready Harry help Draco undress since the boy seemed unable to do it himself and then he helped him into the bath letting the pale boy sink himself all the way to his neck beneath the bubbles.

Once Harry was sure that Draco wouldn't drown if he left him alone for a few moments he went back into his room to retrieved one of his larger sets of pajamas because he was not that much smaller than Draco was so they should fit the other boy quite decently.

When Harry arrived back in the bathroom, Draco turned his head to look at him. "Why are you being nice to me?" He asked with an air of suspicion.

"You didn't look too well and I have always been too soft for my own good. Also Papa asked me to and I couldn't refuse that."

Draco startled at Harry's casual usage of the word 'Papa'. He wondered if he would ever grow used to that. There had been rumors that Snape had taken to the Gryffindor but there was no proof because unless they were alone Harry's behavior towards Snape had been somewhat the same as before. Well maybe it was a little less strained but Draco hadn't wanted to see that. "He's my Godfather. Did you know that?"

Harry shook his head. "He'll expect us to get along now that your parents have lost old Voldy's trust won't he?"

It was Draco's turn to nod.

Harry sighed. Could he really learn to like Draco or even to accept him in any way? "Will you stop messing with my friends and calling them names?"

"Yes." Draco said. He was being honest about that. He really didn't like have to be such a jerk but it was what had been expected of him so he had done his part and played the role that he had been assigned.

After a moment Harry said, "I'll try then to give you another chance. But I'm telling you right now Draco that if you act like you did before I won't have anything to do with you." Harry didn't say it but he could tell that Draco could see how that would affect his relationship with his Godfather.

Draco did not want that because he had already had decreased time with his Godfather because of the fact that Severus had betrayed Voldemort. Now that his parents had escaped Voldemort's clutches, he no longer had to abide by the 'child of a loyal Death Eater handbook' and was free to proceed as he wished. Many of the Slytherins would detest him though. Some because they would be envious that Draco's parents had gotten away alive and that he was free from having to go into the service. Others would hate him because he and his parents were no longer allied with their Dark Lord and savor of all that was pure in their eyes. Befriending Potter would offer a sort of protection from that.

That was what he would tell those who asked why he would cultivate a relationship with Harry. Hopefully no one would ask because he really didn't want to tell that lie. Truthfully, he wanted a bit what Potter, Granger, and the Weasel had not that he would ever admit _that_. Imaging that he was jealous of something the Weasel had was one of the things that he had never wanted to do.

"Thank you Potter,' Draco said hardly believing that he was saying those words.

Harry caught the undercurrent of relief that came with the expression of gratitude and wondered how much of the Draco he knew was an act. "My name is Harry,"

"Thank you Harry,' Draco said

"You're welcome Draco." Harry replied. "Are you finished in the bath?"

Draco nodded and Harry handed him a green towel to use and stepped out of the bathroom so that Draco could dress himself.

A few moments later Draco came out of the bathroom dressed in the pajamas that Harry had laid out for him. Harry saw that he was unsure of what to do now so he invited him to sit on the bed with him to await the return of the adults.

"I'm an animagus," the blonde said unexpectedly.

"Why tell me that?" Harry asked. He of course knew already that Draco was an animagus because he could feel his magic tug gently at him letting him know that, if he so chose, he could help him into his second form. However, it was the fact that Draco was telling him that, which shocked him since he was certain that not many people knew that he was an animagus.

"You don't trust me. I don't blame you, but you don't. So I told you a large secret so that you can be sure that I am not as much of a prat as I had to pretend to be."

Harry could understand that and he was amazed that Draco had trusted him with such a secret. "Well what are you then?"

Suddenly a silver-clawed, very dark green, midsized dragon was sitting next to Harry on his bed when Draco had been. Harry shook his head he should have expected as much. Why wouldn't Draco be a dragon? He considered for a bit and then he transformed himself. As a dragon, he was smaller and about two shades lighter than Draco was. He saw Draco's silver eyes widen in surprise.

"Cool," Draco said with a smile that was a little smile that was somewhat scary because of all the sharp dragon's teeth.

"You can't tell anyone about this. The Professors that were here before know but I don't want everyone to know."

"What about your friends. Haven't you told them?"

"Of course. But we don't talk about it much because we don't want to risk being overheard. Harry didn't add that part of it was about how Ron and Hermione weren't able to transform yet. They had to wait because while Harry's transformation was due to distress they had to learn the old-fashioned way and that would take a few years.

He hadn't confided the bit about second forms though. He could feel the slight pull of potential that would increase once they became animagus's but since they lacked a first form, he couldn't let them chose if they wanted him to help them yet.

Should Draco prove that he was actually a decent human being he just might ask his Papa if he should offer to help him reach his second form. But that would take some time.

"Can you breathe fire yet?" Draco asked.

"Almost but not quite." By the lack of smugness Harry would guess that Draco couldn't yet either.

/

The adults ran to the Slytherin common room. Narcissa and Lucius were lying on the sofas and they looked bad. Had it been any worse Severus wasn't sure that they would have survived. As it were, it had almost been impossible for him to rouse them long enough for them to take the potions that they needed. Once they ascertained that the Malfoys would be fine Sirius and Remus removed themselves and headed toward their quarters since it was pretty late.

He was so busy with that, that Minerva noticed something very interesting before he did.

"Albus look at their Dark Marks. They are fading."

Severus looked at them and it was indeed true that the Marks were fading.

"How!?" Severus asked.

"Don't you know Severus?" Albus asked with twinkly eyes and a smile as well as an air of surprise.

"Of course I don't know how it would happen. Would I really ask if I did?"

"Look at your Mark Severus." Albus instructed.

Deciding to see what the old man was on about Severus dramatically pushed up his sleeve and to his amazement he saw that his Mark had nearly completely faded away. "How!?" Severus asked unable to remove his eyes from his arm.

"Love," the old wizard replied with a smile.

Severus sighed. He would never hear the end of the old man ramblings about respecting the power of love now.

"Once Voldemort relinquished his hold on you, you were no longer tainted with having his power over you. Not only that, but you yourself rejected your ties with him. He does not understand love and so he continually underestimates the power that it can hold and that is his weakness and will prove to be his undoing. The Mark is an extension of him so it makes sense that it would have the same weakness. All three of you have rejected him and have those who love you unconditionally. They have Draco and you have both Harry and me."

'Never going to hear the end of it' Severus thought again. The man sighed and looked over the Malfoys once again. "They'll sleep for a while. I'm going to go check on the boys."

When Severus arrived in his quarters, he saw that his rooms were still intact and took that as a good omen. But he couldn't hear any sounds and that was most definitely a bad omen with boys that were as smart as they were. Taking a breath, he looked into his son's room and he had to stop himself from laughing in relief.

Harry and Draco both had remained in their dragon forms and were fast asleep on the bed side by side. Walking with steps so silent that a ninja would be jealous he moved to the bed so that he could cover them with a blanket. Then he left the room as silently as he had entered it.

After that he went and rechecked the wards on the entrance to his quarters again. After straightening up the presents that had been hastily moved when Draco had rushed in with his news Severus went to his own room so that he could get ready for bed. Once he was comfortable under the sheets he pulled on of the books that Harry had given him from the nightstand and read until he fell asleep.

In the morning Severus woke first and he was surprised that Harry was still asleep since the boy was such an early riser usually. Severus took the time that he suddenly had on his hands to go and give the presents to their recipients. he had a hard time containing a smile when he saw how happy Minerva was to have her 'kitten palace' in her he went to check on the adult Malfoys. They were still asleep and would sleep a bit longer. After they recovered somewhat they would be sent off to live with one of the Order members since the manor was sure to be monitored and anywhere without protection would be far to risky. There was certain to be mistrust between whoever would be there temporary hosts so it was decided that they would use Unbreakables to seal the pact.

When he was done he went back to his quarters and found that the boys were still asleep and he had been gone for over a half an hour. Finding nothing better to do, he decided that he would make breakfast.

It took him about a half an hour to cook the food and then he set out three spots hoping that whatever truce had led to the boys revealing their animagus forms was still in effect for today as well he could use a relaxing day.

Sometime since he had checked on them less than an hour before both boys had reverted to their human selves. They were still asleep though so he gently shook them both to wake them up. Sleepily the two of them trudged to the table to eat.

"Why are you so sleepy?" Severus asked.

Both of them shrugged. They had no idea while they were so tired perhaps it had something to do with the fact that they feel asleep in dragon form.

After breakfast they were more energetic and oddly enough, at least to Severus it was odd, they didn't start to argue. After the boys were dressed Draco went to the Slytherin common room so that he could see his parents.

Severus made harry stay back though. "Last night you didn't get to open this with all that had happened," Severus said handing Harry a box with a slightly shaking hand.

Harry wondered what could be inside that would make Severus feel anxious. He opened it and found that there were adoption forms inside. All that was lacking before they could be filed with the Ministry was his own signature.

"Will my name have to change if I accept?" Harry asked.

"Not unless you want it to." Severus didn't care about that bit he just wanted it to be official.

"I want to think about it." Harry said. He was shocked that Severus' face fell as he took it the wrong way thinking that Harry was talking about the adoption itself. Harry wondered what in the world the man had in his past that made him so insecure. "No, no," Harry hurried to reassure him. "I really want this and I have for a long time. It's just that I'm not sure what name I want because Potter is one of the last things that I have from my parents but I wouldn't mind taking your last name either so I don't know what to do."

"There is no reason that you can't have both of them. Why not simply hyphenate it." Severus said happy that Harry did in fact want to keep him in such a permanent way.

"Harry James Potter-Snape," Harry said. "It does have quite a ring to it."

"Technically it would be Harry James Potter-Snape Dumbledore," Or some such variation."

"Will all that fit on the line?" Harry asked.

/

/

_**This was the place. The Speaker that their mother had sent them to find was here in this castle they could taste his scent on the air. Slowly the two humongous snakes slithered into Hogwarts to find Harry Potter.**_

_**/**_

_**/**_

**A/N Alright here I am again. Sorry it took so long. School got in the way and I got stuck more times in this chapter than I really care to admit. After the next one there will be maybe two more chapters. Sorry for redeeming everyone in this I just can't see to make people bad and it's so easy to do since I stared in Harry's second year. Does anybody care to know what Harry made the other Professors for Christmas? If so I will add it in the next chapter I just thought it was more jarring if I left some of them unopened when Draco burst in. **

**R and R.**

**Until next time.**


	8. The truth of the serpent

**A/N Sorry this took so long I got a new CPU and I had to find a typing program and then it was the story itself since I had to decide what direction I wanted to take it in because I had two very different ideas for this story and I had to chose which one to use. I did a lot with this chapter as you can see by the length and there should only be one more after this. As always R and R.**

The Truth of the Serpent

The two snakes slithered along the empty corridors making sure that they remained unnoticed by the remaining inhabitants, which included the pictures as well since it wouldn't do to have them report to the headmaster, of the castle. Together in a fashion that boasted of ease which would confirm to anyone who did see them that they had been traveling together for quite some time they made their way down to the dungeons to find their query.

They would not have long to accomplish this because while the people may not have seen them the castle itself would record their presence. In addition to that breaking into the rooms that lay in the dungeons was bound to reveal them in time and they had to make sure that they had reached the boy before that it happened or the mission would end in failure.

"_His scent is strongest here," _hissed the larger of the two snakes.

"_Where is he?"_ the other hissed back.

They could not find Harry. Or anyone else for that matter. The quarters were empty and they hadn't been for long. A few minutes at the very most.

"_What do we do now," _ The first hissed.

"_We wait and hope that we can get to him before we are found."_

Fifteen minutes before

"Papa what will we be doing today?" Harry asked as contemplated what he was going to sign on the adoption form.

"I don't have anything planned. Was there something in particular that you wanted to do?"

"Not really I just wanted to know be-"

The reason why Severus didn't find out because Harry was cut off in the middle of his sentence by a screech from Hedwig.

Clutched in the foot of his snowy owl was a letter. Quickly Harry took the letter and while handing Hedwig a treat from the stash that he kept handy in his robes for her, he opened it he had no idea who this could be from though since he had not been expecting anything.

_Harry,_

_I really hope this finds you. Your owl suddenly appeared here at the hotel and I had to take the chance that this would get to you. I have no other options. I need your help. Mom is very sick and I am scared she might die. I can not go to the hospital with her because Dad would find out since he is listed as her contact. I will explain more if you come. Please come I know we don't deserve your help but I don't know who else to turn to._

_We are in a Wheelford hotel room 202._

_Hurry._

_Dudley_

Harry read the letter twice and he gave it to his Papa to read. He was mixed about what to do. His aunt and cousin had been very bad to him and he couldn't just forget what they had done to him. But if what Dudley said in the letter was true then his aunt could be dying right now and it was within his power to get her some help.

"What should I do?" He asked out loud.

"This is up to you Harry. You can help them or you can show them the same amount of mercy that they showed to you since you were placed into their lives."

Harry thought for a moment before saying, "I want to help them. I know that I might come to regret it but they are the only blood family that I have left and I don't want them dead. Plus I want to know why they are hiding from my Un- from Vernon. That bit that has me really worried. Will you try to help them if I ask you to?"

Severus sighed. He had a hard time caring one way or the other and despite the recent changes in him over the past months he hadn't let go of the anger that he felt towards the Dursely's for how they had treated his son when the boy had been in their care. This was made even worse because Severus knew that Harry had not told him the entirety of the pain he had felt because of the Dursley's. Despite the fact that Harry hadn't signed the papers yet was his son and how Petunia had treated Lily when she was as a child further pushed him in the direction of not caring about the predicament that they found themselves in..

Even though the note was indeed written by the youngest Dursely who bore less of the blame than his parents did for Harry's abuse and the fact that the situation did seem as though it was quite dire if the penmanship was anything to go by he still felt little if any sympathy. But if this was what the boy really wanted he could hardly refuse him. "I don't know what I will be able to do because potions don't work as well on Muggles since they lack the magic to aid the magic of the ingredients but I will try to help her only because that is what you want me to do."

Two minutes later Severus had packed up the potions that he knew would work most effectively on a muggle. Then he pulled out his wand to send a patronus to the headmaster to inform him of where he was going. For a second he stared at his patronus. It was different than before. It used to be a doe. But now it was different. Shaking his head he dismissed the glowing beast and instead sent a letter instead since he had no time to explain the change in his patronus because time was of the essence. After that he went back out to the living area and together he and Harry floo'd to the hotel and went to the room that had been written on the note.

Harry knocked on the door and was surprised when it was answered by a boy that looked unfamiliar to him. It took a long moment but then he realized that it was his cousin. The months had obviously not been kind to the boy. He was thinner than Harry had ever seen him when they had lived together and he looked completely exhausted.

Dudley's face lit up when he saw that his cousin was at the door. For a moment he feared that it was the owner of the hotel coming to force them out. They had a day left before they had to pay more than they could afford. But that was beside the point at the moment.

"Harry you came," Dudley said in a relieved voice. "Mom's through here." Dudley pointed at the room beyond. The room was quite small. It held only a dingily painted living area and with a couch that it was obvious from the sheets upon it that Dudley slept on. A few steps away was a bathroom which was as small as a closet and the only other door was the one through which they were led.

There on the bed lay Petunia Dursley and there was a gasp from both Harry and Severus. Neither of them had ever seen, or thought to see, the sour-faced woman so small and so very vulnerable. She was an unhealthy pasty white color and if it were not for the shallow breathing that they could barely hear they would have thought her to be dead.

"I will see what can be done for her," Severus said quietly to Harry after placing a hand on the boy's shoulder to get his attention.

Harry knew that, that was his cue to leave and let his Papa work.

With one more glace at the fragile form that lay unmoving on the bed he left out of the room followed by his cousin.

Once they were back in the small living room near the couch Dudley spoke. "You're wondering what happened to us aren't you?" the question was asked in such a way that it might have been a statement.

Harry simply nodded since he was indeed puzzled by what chain of events could have possibly led his aunt and cousin to be living in these circumstances .

Dudley sat down and patted the area on the couch next to him indicating that Harry should sit down too. When Harry finally joined him on the small and very uncomfortable piece of furniture he said, "First I want to say that I am sorry. I know that it doesn't amount to anything and you deserve much more than an apology from me but I just wanted to say it." Dudley took a breath eyes still locked with the dingy beige carpet and spoke once more. "After you left things got back to normal as we slowly pushed the memory of what had been done to us away. Everything was fine and was going well for a couple of weeks. But then I came home due to a sudden power outage at Smeltings and that was when things went wrong."

"At first it all seemed like it had before I had left but then one day I heard mom and dad arguing and I saw him hit her." Here Dudley clenched his hands. "I tried to stand up to him and I told him to stop. He hit me so hard that I flew into the wall and was so dazed that I couldn't even get up. I had never felt so _powerless_ before and I was shocked that my dad had hit me. I never knew that he was so violent and I think that I never saw it because before he had always taken that anger out on you. After that mom told dad that if he ever hit me again she was going to leave. The next day he hit me hard enough that it knocked me out. When I woke up it was night and mom was standing over me telling me to pack a bag. That night we ran away and we have been running ever since. Mom made herself sick working three jobs just to afford what we need and I have been working one job and keeping a low profile at the local school. We move every few weeks afraid that dad will catch up to us and force us to go back to that house." There Dudley stopped and he waited for Harry to pass judgment on him.

This was all no less than what he deserved really for the way that he had treated his cousin all of those years and as much as he wanted to pin the blame on his parents and his upbringing he had to face the facts that some of it was indeed his fault. Dudley had never believed in the idea of karma but what he was experiencing now did give a lot of credit to the theory. He had known better after a while and yet he had continued to treat his cousin as though the younger wasn't even human. He teased him for his dead parents and for having no family more than once and he was happy when those insults had made him cry. But things were so different now he was a bit smarter and knew how it felt to be beat to be hurt and to have to run because you were too weak. He knew now what it was like to have so few possessions to have few privileges and have to live off of a meager amount of food. It wasn't fun. But he knew that Harry had had it infinitely worse than he did because he had had to put up with this kind of treatment for about ten and a half years of his life while in the place that he had called home while he himself only had been living with these conditions for about three months. Added to that was the fact that even at this low point he still had more than Harry had had. More food, more freedom, more clothing. For the first time he felt truly ashamed of himself and his parents.

So it came as a surprise when, given a history like that, his dark-haired cousin said, "I'm sorry,"

Dudley laughed bitterly. That made him feel a bit worse because had he been in Harry's shoes he might have laughed at him, he wouldn't have even came here to begin with. "We're so different. After all I put you through you shouldn't care what happens to me or to my mom."

"That's where you're wrong Dudley. I should care since you two are my only blood family but I know that it more than just that. More importantly than that I know that I can't just abandon you or your mom because I know what that feels like and I never want to be the one that make others to feel that way because nobody ever should. Abandonment leads to disaster and hatefulness more often than not and if it is within my power to stop those results."

"Harry," Severus called for him.

With one last look at Dudley's startled face, Harry got up and went back into the other room. His aunt was awake now and a bit of her color had returned to her face.

Harry took a breath and went to stand beside his Papa to gather his courage before he addressed the woman in the bed. "Hello," he said to her.

The woman on the bed went through various emotions before she settled on something that was a mix between grief and regret. "...Harry... I do... regret the fact that I have undoubtedly become a monster in your eyes. But I was always sour even as a little girl. By the time I was an adult it had become my normal disposition and it was enabled by Vernon. I resented you for living when you came along. My sister had died and you had lived it made me so angry that I couldn't stand the sight of you. While Lily and I never had a very good relationship after she went away to... that school I did still love her as surprising as that may seem. As the years passed I became even more angry and upset with myself because while I hated you I never wanted to harm you."

"What about when you tried to hit me with the frying pan?" Harry cried out.

"I was trying to help you learn to dodge," Petunia said in such a way that they knew that she did not like remembering what she had done in the past. "I knew what Vernon was doing to you the moment I saw the first bruise and... I thought that if I could get you to learn how to dodge better you could learn to avoid his wild swings and later on Dudley's.

"You knew and you never did anything," Snape snarled at her.

"No I didn't. But I knew how violent Vernon could get because just after a six months of marriage he started to hit me and knock me about. I kept quiet knowing that I deserved it. Besides other than the temper thing he was all a husband should be. Then Dudley came along and I knew I could never leave or my son would suffer for it. I had no real friends and no family to turn to either. The year after that you showed up and it was like salvation had arrived. With Vernon using you as a way to relieve himself he was much nicer to both me and my son. I couldn't afford to think of you as human and as a result I let you be abused."

Harry was astounded she had let him be abused to protect herself and her son. He tried to imagine what he might have done if he was put into the same situation. If he were living in a place where he knew someone was being abused and he and another were not because that person was, could he live with that? It hurt to think such things but if he had no other choice he might have tried to ignore the others suffering for the sake of both himself and the other that depended on him especially if he had nobody to turn to. It wasn't to say that he could completely sympathize with the situation but having this piece of information put it into a different perspective what he had experienced all his life and he really didn't know just how he should feel about the whole situation.

After that Harry and Severus went back into the small living area to be alone. Dudley went in the other room now since they had left out and sat with his mother to give them some privacy.

As they sat on the sofa Severus looked over at the boy trying to gauge his reaction to what he had heard. "How are you?" Severus finally asked after a moment in a gentle tone knowing that what Petunia had said had upset his son and he feared that it would have repercussions later on.

"I don't know." Harry answered honestly.

Then Severus did the only thing he could think to do. He pulled the boy onto his lap and into a hug. He still wasn't very good with this emotional stuff but he knew that this was the right thing for him to do. Also considering that he had something to tell the boy that would make this even harder on him than it already was.

When Harry pulled out of the hug he could see that there was something that was bothering the Professor and he asked about it.

"I have to contact the Headmaster before I can explain. This peaked Harry's curiosity.

About ten minute later Dumbledore arrived at the room. Severus led him into the bedroom where both Petunia and Dudley were asleep. For a moment nothing happened but then Harry saw Dumbledore's face wrinkle in confusion. When they stepped out he said, "Very curious."

"What does it mean Albus?" Severus asked.

"I am not sure my child."

"Clueless underage wizard here." Harry said pointing to himself. "Anyone care to explain what's going on?"

Snape smirked a bit. Then he grabbed Harry's hand. "Look very closely here." The wizard directed and just as Harry was about to ask what it was that he was looking at he saw it. Inside of his Papa was a multi-colored very large crystal. It had many hues of blues and dark greens with a string of silver floating about. 'So this is a magical core.' Harry thought to himself as he looked over at his almost Grandfather. Dumbledore's core was very bright with multiple shades of reds mixed with purple and a string of blue entwined in the core.

"You see Harry every witch and wizard has a magical core. Squibs have one too but the magic is much fainter and they have no access to the magic inside of them. Muggles do not have one which is why they are incapable of doing magic. In that room are two people that have empty cores."

Harry nodded his understanding. "If they were truly muggles they would have no core but if they were squibs then they would have a core with a meager amount of magic inside. So what exactly are they if they fit into neither category?"

"That is precisely what needs to be figured out."

Harry could understand this. If there were more people with empty cores then there would have to be a classification for them and people would have to know about it.

"So what are you going to do with them because as unlikely as it is they could be the only ones with dark cores and if they are then they would need to be studied. If it comes to that I would rather that they be left alone and nobody else know about what we saw here.

"Harry if we did take them into our world they would not be poked and prodded." Dumbledore said with an air of certainty that could not be argued with. "The bigger issue here is that they would have to stay in the castle for some time until I could work out a place that they could stay that has a good amount of protection from those who would experiment unjustly on them. If I did bring them to Hogwarts would you be able to live there in comfort and safety while not fearing that one of them might do something that would harm you or your friends?"

Harry considered this for a while. Having two of his past tormentors in the castle would compromise the security that he felt but it would be the right thing to do because Hogwarts was the safest place that he knew and if people would really come after his aunt and cousin for something that was outside of their control then they needed that safety as well. Added to that the castle was the only place that they could go that was totally safe from Vernon. There was no possible way that they could be followed there by him and that would be all that would need to be said to make them agree to any conditions that were set.

With a nod Harry agreed that it would be best if his cousin and aunt were taken to the castle but he gave one condition that had to be followed by them and if they agreed to it then it would be okay if they came to live in the place that he had begun to call home. That condition was that they were not to move about the castle without an escort and that they would be in their room at all other times. There were simple spells to assure this and the condition was readily agreed to by both his cousin and his aunt. If anything the fact that they were to e monitored made them happy because they knew that the people would also know if they were attack by anyone.

It took quite a while for things to be arranged but after everything was done Harry and Severus returned to their quarters only to be ambushed by Minerva, Sirius, and Remus. When the group had come down to visit they had be shocked to realize that neither Severus nor Harry was home and being that the two of them were on official unofficial house arrest they all decided to wait here until the two of them returned.

Before the conversation could really get underway though, two very large snakes had launched themselves at Harry.

Instantly all the adults had their wands drawn in order to fight the perceived threat.

But the snakes were not attacking and oddly enough they seemed familiar.

"_Who are you?" Harry hissed._

"_You don't remember?" one of them asked._

"_We met when you were but a small one." the other said._

"_My name is Naga and the other is my brother Negi."_

"_You saved our lives when we were small." Negi said._

"_What is it with you and rescuing snakes?"Severus asked._

"_He speaks!" Naga said in startled shout. "He did not taste like a Speaker."_

"_He only just became a Speaker. If you want to know how you must ask him._

"_So you do know them?" asked Severus._

"_Yes," Harry said. _

"Will someone tell me what in Merlin's name is going on here?" Sirius asked.

"Sorry," Harry said. "These two are snakes that I met when I was about four. He is Naga and his brother is Negi. When I was four I had started learning about doing garden work." Harry ignored the gasps that that particular revelation caused as he remembered that he hadn't told any of them about that. He look at his Papa and saw the angry frown upon his features. Harry might not be taking Divination yet but it was easy to read that there was going to be a long and upset conversation in his future that would only be made worse when he told Severus that he barely had any clothing on and it was about mid-fall at the time. He sighed and then he continued. "They were just babies back then," Harry said not stopping to let any of the adults argue that he had been nothing but a child himself, "and they were about to be killed by a very large dog. I was able to save them and I kept them safe by hiding them under my clothing until their mother came for them. She told me that she owed me a life debt for each of her children and that she would repay it if she ever could."

The snakes hissed something and Harry translated. "They said that they need my help. Since their mother and I are still connected by a debt with my help they can summon her here. They say that it is really important that it is done very soon."

After talking about it for a moment it was decided that Harry should help the snakes summon their mother because since the mother owed a life debt there was hardly any way that she would try to hurt him and if she tried they would be here to stop her. They knew that one way or another Harry would do it and it would be safer this way.

A few minutes later a familiar beast appeared it was Voldemort's serpent Nagini.

For a moment fear and dread filled all the people in the room and they thought themselves tricked. But suddenly, before any of them could so much as utter a spell, the air was filled with magic and the snake transformed into a beautiful woman. She had long dirty blond hair and wore a dress of the darkest green. She was barefoot and she held to the back of the couch to keep her balance.

"My name is Vanessa. Or Nessie for short if you like. I never liked the name 'Nagini' it didn't have not one 's' in it."

"_Mother!" Both snakes cried._

"Now, now you two better change as well. I can't explain everything if you are slithering around the whole time."

Both of the other snakes in the room morphed into people. Both were boys around fourteen years old. They had black hair and dark eyes that were tinged with silver. They were a little taller than average for their ages and they had on plain black shirts and black trousers. Like their mother they were also barefoot.

"What is going on here?" Minerva asked.

"These two are my children. I am human and what you all have known me as was my animagus form. For a time I was stuck in it and I eventually had these two in that form. They were born snakes but they are able to turn human. I don't really understand how that works I just know that it does and that I am happy that it does. I am not nor have I ever Voldemort's true familiar. I pretended to be because he had the power to destroy my children. Or so he claimed. He never told me that they had escaped him many years ago. I found that out only a short time ago."

"Why are you here?" Remus asked not lowering his guard but at the same time his instinct told him that he was not in danger,

"I want to destroy that monster but I need help to do that. I know that you find it hard to believe but I am willing to do anything if it will prove that to you. I know things that can help you fight him with the minimal amount of casualties."

"How do we know that you speak the truth?" Severus asked.

"I told you I will attest to this under any circumstance including the truth serum if I must."

"Mother!" The two boys said with alarm in their tones. "You can't do that!"

"What are they talking about?" Severus asked with doubt clear in his tone.

"I am somewhat allergic to that particular potion. But it does work on me. If to much is given though I might end up very ill but that is a risk that I am willing to take if that is what has to be done in order for you to trust me."

A while later Vanessa, her boys, the headmaster, Severus and Harry were sitting in Dumbledore's office while Vanessa drunk down the serum. She shivered and gagged for a moment. Minutes later she was breathing hard but her eyes had glassed over.

"What is your name?" Severus asked.

"Vanessa," she answered monotonously.

"Are you Voldemort's familiar?"

"I pretend to be but the bond is false."

"Do you know how to defeat him."

"Yes," she hissed.

"Will you tell me?"

"Yes,"

"How do we defeat Voldemort."

"He split up his soul before he had lost his corporal state the first time. You must destroy his horocruxes that he made and then attack him once he is again able to truly die."

There was a gasp from Dumbledore and Severus.

"How many does he have?"

"He had seven. But he now has six."

"Do you know what they are?"

"Yes I can sense them."

"What are they?"

"The one that is gone is a diary. It was used in his resurrection. The others are a locket, the Hufflepuff cup, the diadem of Revenclaw, a ring, myself and..."

"What else."

She shivered but did not answer. She did not want to say it. But she could not fight the potion that coursed through her. "...and Harry."

"Why come and tell me this?" Severus asked trying to stay calm.

"You fought him. Were a spy in his camp and could have died many times over I can trust that, you would be a good ally and I need those to help destroy the horocruxes. After that task I will destroy myself and the piece of soul that lies within me."

"Is there no other way?" Severus asked seeing what this would mean.

"I know not of another way."

"There must be a way," Severus said holding his son close and trying to keep the tears from coming from his eyes. "Please tell me that there is a way," he pleaded looking at Dumbledore.

"It's okay Papa," Harry said. "It will be okay. I'm sure there is a way to fix it we just have to find it."

"And we will," Dumbledore assured him. "First though we must get rid of the ones that we can easily depose of then we can concentrate on the tasks of getting the pieces out of the living horocuxes."

A moment later the potion had run it's course and Vanessa promptly fainted. Her two boys were at her side in an instant and they led her out of the room and with permission, into a room that they had been assigned so that she could rest.

"How will we take care of it all before he is aware of what we are doing if he is not already?" Severus asked when they were gone.

"Two of them are in secure locations. One being inside Hogwarts and the other in Gringots. The ones to worry about are the ring and the locket. It would be simple for Sirius to get into the Black vault as he is the head of the family now that his innocence has been proven. I can ascertain the the whereabouts of the one that is in the castle. It would be best if you, Minerva and Vanessa went and found the others. With any luck it would be done quite quickly and you'd be back in a few days at the most."

Severus nodded that did seem like a good plan. He could only see one flaw. "Will you be alright with this Harry?"

Harry nodded. He wanted old moldy Voldy destroyed as much if not more than anyone else and he was willing to be separated from his guardian in order for that to occur. He was twelve after all and he could manage a little while by himself. "I'll have planned out what my name should be by the time you get back home too,"  
Severus smiled it was agreed then.

The next day the potions and the transfiguration professors accompanied by their unlikely ally set out to destroy the pieces of Voldemort's soul. Harry sat alone in his room, since he had given Silver to his Papa just in case, with the adoption papers attempting to figure out what he should put on the line. He was pleasantly distracted when Draco stopped by for a bit to play with him. Both of them had been practicing and now could breathe a few sparks. One day soon they were going to go and find a place where they could practice utilizing their dragon forms. Before bed he settled on a name and wrote it out as neatly as possible on the line trying his hardest to write it small enough t and legibly so that it wouldn't run over the amount of space that was provided on the form. It was a really long name but he really liked it and he was proud of all the parts of it.

The second day he felt his Papa's absence even more strongly. He tried to ignore it of course spending his days with Sirius, Remus, Dumbledore, Freya, and Draco but come night time he could no longer deny that he missed Severus. He thought that he was stronger than this and that he could take a few days of separation. But at this point he only wanted his Papa back and he didn't care how much of a baby he seemed because of it. The thing was that he was so scared that it Severus would never come back to him because he was always fated to be abandoned.

~  
That night he had a nightmare and it was so bad that he woke shaking like a leaf in a windstorm. It had only been a few hours since he had fallen asleep. He knew that the nightmares would get worse because that was how they were for him and he remembered what happened the last time because of some nightmares that he had.

Slowly he crawled out of bed and grabbed his wand from the table. He walked over to his dresser and pulled out two pairs of pants. Slowly with a spell that he had memorized in case this happen he transfigured them into a diaper. He had never wanted to use this spell but he would rather clean the mess from the nappy than from his bed.

Once he was done creating a second just in case he climbed back into bed and stared at the ceiling wondering where his Papa was. Before he knew what he was doing it,, he was counting fluffy white sheep as they jumped over a fence and he had gotten to seventy-eight sheep before managing to fall asleep again.

The nightmare came back with a vengeance, just as he had suspected that it would, and he wasn't able to wake up before his bladder emptied itself into his transfigured nappy. When he woke this time thought it was early morning so he decided that he was going to stay up for the day. Quickly he went into his bathroom and cleaned the nappy with a spell, put it back in his hiding spot, and then he took a shower.

He was ashamed, of course, that he needed the nappy at his age but at the same time he was also happy that there was no proof of his accident. He couldn't wait for his Papa to come back so that this would stop for good and he wouldn't need to have them anymore.

By the third day people were starting to notice that Harry was a little withdrawn and they knew that it was because he missed Severus. They knew that this was the longest that Harry had gone without seeing the man and it was hard on him. No one was aware of how hard but they knew that he was having a whole lot of trouble even if he didn't come and tell them about it. They also could tell from the dark circles under his eyes that his sleep, if he was getting any of it to begin with, was less than restful. That night Harry woke up wet again and he lay there in his sopping nappy crying from the shame of it all.

He was twelve for Merlin's sake. He should be able to cope by himself but instead of coping though he was being a big baby. Only babies needed nappies so that they didn't wet themselves. Only babies couldn't handle being by themselves for just a bit while their guardian was out doing something that was benefiting the world. But Harry couldn't help it because he just missed him so much and he was so scared that when Papa did return he would be so angry at him for being such a baby and breaking his promise to him. He had told Papa that he would be okay alone for a little while but had he known just how much he would miss him he never would have made that promise to him.

The next morning nobody saw Harry at all and when he missed lunch as well Sirius decided to go and check on him. He found Harry in Severus's room asleep in the bed. With a sigh Sirius left the room as quietly as he had come and went to the headmaster's office.

Severus needed to come back now or this would end up with Harry getting really sick. Sirius Himself would have stayed with the boy but tonight there would be s full moon and he needed to look after Remus to be sure that his best friend didn't hurt anyone. Since Remus's discovery of his animagus form he no longer turned into a wild beast but he was still dangerous. There was also the fact that he had to get Seven and Russel ready for the run.

Seven and Russel were the pups that Harry had gotten them for Christmas. In the box there had been a map when put together led to a clearing where they had found the pups. The animal themselves were enchanted creatures. Telepathic to their owners as well as one another since they were from the same litter and they were also comfortable with the fact that Remus was a werewolf and liked to run with them during the full moon. The pups were also highly intelligent so there was no harm done to the quarters when they were left alone unless they didn't get enough attention.

Sirius however, would have forgone the run had he known that his fear had already come to light. Harry was already sick. He had a fever and he hadn't eaten a thing since that morning. Seeking comfort he had gone to lay in his Papa's bed after putting on one of his nappies. Sick or not he would never forgive himself if he had an accident in this bed.

Severus was already on his way back to the castle having already destroyed the two objects that he had been after when he received communication from the castle that he needed to hurry back now because of an emergency. As quickly as they could he and his companions made it to the castle where he was met at the door by Sirius, Remus and Albus.

Immediately he headed down to the dungeons and found Harry was not in his room. He then looked in his own bedroom and found that Harry was curled up under his blanket. He slowly walked over not wanting to wake him and found that the young one was burning with fever. When Harry opened his eyes, Severus saw that the usual shine in the boy's green eyes had been replaced by a glassy gaze.

Coming out of his stupor, Severus realized that he needed to hurry and get some medicine into his boy and then they were going to have a stern talk about what happened. Running to his store room he grabbed a couple of potions and carried them back to his room. Sip by sip he coaxed the boy into drinking each potion that he had lain out for him. After that was finished he went into the bathroom and ran some water in the tub. That fever was far to high and he didn't think the potion by itself would reduce it to a temperature that he would be okay with. Once the tub held a sufficient amount of water he went back to the bed. Harry was sleep again so Severus gently woke him up. Once that was accomplished he went on ahead and carried him into the bathroom, quickly removed his clothing, and sat him in the tub.

It took a little while but eventually the effects of the potion and the water lowered the temperature of the fever sufficiently and at that point Severus toweled his son dry and picked Harry up and laid him against his own body using one arm to support him so that he could grip the wad of clothing in the other. Then he carried the boy back into his own room and lay him gently on the bed. After throwing the dirty clothing into the hamper he went and tucked the boy in and left for a bit to inform the rest of the staff what had happened.

After Severus left Harry cracked open an eye. He thought he remembered being tended to and when he looked down and realized that he had indeed been bathed and now was in his own bed he was sure that his Papa had returned to him. Suddenly he sat up realizing that Severus must have seen the nappy that the had been wearing if he had bathed him. His eyes caught on the hamper where his pajamas that he was wearing before laid on the top of the pile. Unsteadily, he moved across the room and searched through the clothing for the nappy. To his relief, it was there and it was not soiled. That was most likely the reason that Severus had failed to notice it. With a sigh Harry hid the nappy and got the other one. That one he slipped on under his sleeping trousers and then climbed back in bed exhausted from those few actions.

Hopefully he would no longer need the nappies now that Severus had returned to the castle but he thought that it would be a good idea to wait and see so that he could be certain. He was too old for a nappy but he was far too old to be wetting the bed and as he had thought before the nappy was the lesser of the two evils.

When Severus got back to his rooms the first thing he did was see how Harry was. Upon finding the boy asleep he went and got a book and placed himself at the boys beside just in case Harry needed anything during the night or the boy's fever rose.

Luckily neither the two happened and with Severus constant a steady presence even the fever that Harry had did not cause nightmares.

When Harry woke up he saw that Severus was there next to the bed slumped over in sleep. With a glance over to the sleeping Slytherin he checked the nappy and was pleased to find that he hadn't soiled himself in the night. While he was happy about this he figured that as a precaution he should wear the nappies at night for a bit longer just to make sure. He also knew that eventually he was going to have to tell Severus about them because the man wasn't going to be there with him at all times and Harry needed to make sure that this kind of childish behavior did not happen again. But that could wait a while since he knew that Severus wouldn't be leaving on long trips until Voldy was dead.

For a few days Harry was ill and he could hardly get out of bed. But on the upside he was able to forgo the nappies since Severus's return brought with it the return of his ability to shake the nightmares and get up before he could wet himself. But by the time New Year's eventually came around Harry was out of bed, had been scolded within an inch of his life by quite a few of the adults, and was now ready to help with the New Years party that everyone attended and that Severus had pretended to hate. Severus's birthday was only a bit later and since Harry hadn't had the time what with the illness and all the preparations for the new years party to give Severus the signed adoption form he figured that the form plus the ring that he had made from some material found on the school grounds would be the perfect gifts.

Severus of course was very happy on his birthday for the first time in more years than any of them would ever know and although he had no idea how to really express that since it was outside of his normal range of expression it seemed that all of the people in attendance could just tell and as much as that embarrassed him it also made him happy that he did have people that understood him. As they all sat having a grand time in the Chamber of Secrets, since it was early on decided that Freya would be attending the Severus's birthday party too, they all smiled and enjoyed seeing a side of Severus that most of them had never known and hoped that he would stick around because he was much more pleasant this way.

After all of the parties and holiday life slowly resumed the pattern that it had abandoned in all of the commotion of the holidays and the multiple other events that had occurred during the most wonderful time of the year as some called. Little did any of them know that there was a battle looming right there on the horizon. But for the moment the opposition to Voldemort were happy to be to together with one another since they didn't know quite how long it could last. Everything was only marred by the fact that Harry himself housed a piece of the Dark Lord's soul. That shadow hung over the ones that were aware of it after all neither could live while the other survived.


End file.
